Twice Rejecting, Trade Minister Zulhas Finally Agreeed To Import 500,000 Tons Of Rice

Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Trade)

JAKARTA - Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan admitted that he had rejected the rice import plan twice. However, the plan was finally tested.

In fact, he has signed a permit to import 500,000 tons of rice.

Zulhas, as Zulkifli Hasan is familiarly called, also revealed the reason he had chosen to reject the rice import plan. He said this was because the number of supplies was recorded as a surplus.

"Imports of rice, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, our stock is 7 million. Therefore, I twice rejected rice imports, because the data is in a surplus," he told reporters, Wednesday, December 7.

Zulhas said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) gave him the task of accompanying the Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo to absorb rice stocks from farmers. Given, rice stocks in Perum Bulog are running low.

"Then we ras (limited meeting) led by the President directly, then where is the rice so that it can be bought and Bulog's stock can increase because Bulog's stock continues to operate in the market, of course, the stock is only a little longer because the stock must be 1.2 million tons. I was asked to accompany the Minister of Agriculture to buy rice," he explained.

"Itu enam kali kerja belum dapat, ditambah en hari kerja belum dapat, stok beras kita lama-lama mengulangi. Akhirnya Ratas memutuskan karena badan panas ini sekarang ada Bapanas, dipimpin oleh Menko Perekonomian dan dihadiri Pak Presiden maka ditetapkan kita harus menambah cadangan Bulog tapi harus membeli di luar negeri," sambungnya.

Zulhas said, if Bulog could buy rice for government food reserves from within the country, then imports would not be carried out. "If Bulog can buy domestically, there is rice, but if it doesn't exist, it's impossible. So we have to import it," he said. He claimed to have received orders from the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto to give permission to import rice to meet the government's rice reserves at Perum Bulog.

"I have taken an order from the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, from Bulog, asking that imports be immediately allowed, so I have given permission to import 500,000 tons of rice whenever necessary. Now it has been ordered, because the implementing Bulog," he explained.

Zulhas said the imported rice will enter Indonesia very much depending on the stock needed in Indonesia.

"Has it entered or not? It depends on the stock situation needed or not or Bulog, but I have taken it," he said.