Erick Thohir: SOEs Need To Collaborate With Islamic Boarding Schools For Food Independence

Photo: VOI/Mary Handayani/Ministry of SOEs

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir is committed to the economic empowerment of Islamic boarding schools. According to Erick, as a government sustainable program, SOEs can improve the food ecosystem by cooperating with santri as part of the pesantren's economic independence assets.

This was conveyed by Erick during the halal bihalal with the students at the Mathla'ul Anwar Islamic Boarding School, Banten, Wednesday, May 11.

"Food SOEs need to cooperate with students as assets for food sustainability," said Erick.

According to Erick, food is the main focus at this time. Such as commodities such as cooking oil, sugar, rice, which are the basic food needs of the students, teachers, parents of students, and the alumni community of Islamic boarding schools which form a unified ecosystem.

"Food is the focus of the government. SOE Food Holding ID FOOD can create a food supply chain in the santri environment as a form of food independence in the Islamic boarding school environment," he said.

Erick also appreciated ID FOOD's Food Holding move considering that on the same day, ID FOOD together with its subsidiaries PPI and Rajawali Nusindo distributed 300 tons of bulk cooking oil and 800 tons of sugar in Kupang, NTT, to be distributed to traditional markets.

Erick said, this activity was carried out thanks to the collaboration of other SOEs such as PTPN III, Pos Indonesia, and Bank BRI for the first time by using the sea toll facility in synergy with the Ministry of Transportation and the National Food Agency.

"Previously, ID FOOD has also contributed to distributing 37 million liters of bulk cooking oil to traditional markets throughout Indonesia," he said.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of ID FOOD's Food Holding, Frans Marganda Tambunan said, ID FOOD is committed to supporting the government in maintaining the availability of food to meet the needs of the community. Including efforts to increase food independence through Islamic boarding schools.

The SOE low-cost market was welcomed by the administrators of the Mathla'ul Anwar Islamic Boarding School, Banten, Ida. He expressed his gratitude for the support of SOEs in meeting the food needs of Islamic boarding schools at affordable prices.

"We are happy that there is a low-cost market activity from BUMN in Islamic boarding schools because basic food needs are also needed by students and their families," said Ida.

Director of Commercial and Development of PT PPI Andry Tanundjaja who was present on the same occasion as Minister Erick at Ponpes Mathla'ul Anwar added, PPI continues and will continue to support government programs in food affordability and availability.

"We are here with affordable cooking oil. Previously, we have distributed more than 12 million liters of cooking oil and more than 25 thousand cheap food packages during Ramadan and ahead of Eid al-Fitr," said Andry.

PPI as an offtaker in the food chain and also an export gateway, in its role through the TJSL program, distributes cheap food packages as part of a series of programs for the 19th PPI Anniversary Month, with the contents of food packages in the form of 2 liter packaged cooking oil and 2.5 kg packaged rice. from the original selling price of IDR 81,500 to IDR 50,000.

Director of Operations of PT Rajawali Nusindo, Sonni Subarnas added, Rajawali Nusindo continues to support government programs in food affordability and availability. During the month of Ramadan, Sonni said, his company has distributed more than 13.2 million liters of cooking oil and more than 7,000 thousand packages of cheap food.

"Today at the Mathla'ul Anwar Islamic boarding school, Menes Center, there are 1000 packages containing 5 kg of rice, 1 liter of oil and 1 kg of sugar. So that the total packages that have been distributed so far are 8,000 packages," he said.