Rice Prices Fluctuate, Sultan Requests Trade Policy Based on Commodity Balance to be Updated

21 January 2023 oleh admin

dpd.go.id - Deputy chairman of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia Sultan B Najamudin urged the Government to be aware of fluctuations in price increases and the availability of rice stocks in several regions at this time.

This was conveyed by the Sultan so that price fluctuations due to uncertain rice stock data do not repeat the phenomenon of scarcity of cooking oil which caused panic and public uproar at the beginning of last year. Therefore, with all humility we request that the government review presidential regulation number 32 of 2022 concerning commodity balances.

"We see that the current symptoms of rising rice prices are almost similar to the extreme increase in cooking oil prices a few moments ago. And the public can certainly conclude that the cause of this increase in rice prices is part of a commodity cartelization practice that is detrimental to society," said the former chairman of HIPMI Bengkulu through its official statement on Saturday (21/01).

According to the Sultan, the free food and strategic commodity cartel activities are more or less due to the trade legitimacy granted by the government through PP number 32 of 2022 which is a derivative regulation of the job creation law. In our view, the PP on commodity balance is excessive in providing an opportunity for export-import business actors to set their import quotas.

"As a result, even though they have gone through a series of coordination with several technical ministries, business actors will tend to unilaterally regulate the trade system of commodities, so that the number of exports and imports matches or at least approaches the quota they have set at the beginning of the year. This is what we think will determine the trade system. Our food commodities are very fragile even though they are not touched by the global crisis," he stressed.

Furthermore, the young senator from Bengkulu hopes that the government will be consistent in directing national economic policies by focusing the budget on strengthening spending better for spending efficiency and effectiveness. The government should not hand over commodity affairs directly to market players who tend to be reckless. "This review of PP 32 of 2022 is important because the ability to collect reliable and accurate data related to agricultural production and supply has always been a big problem in Indonesia, as faced by many other countries. The usual import-export business actors do not care about reality. available stock data, because the recommended data varies from one ministry and agency to another," he concluded.

The price of rice at the Cipinang Rice Main Market (PIBC) in Jakarta and several other areas rose significantly due to declining stocks. The price increase for a number of types of rice has occurred since three months ago.

Anton, as a rice trader at the Cipinang Rice Main Market, even said that the increase in rice prices had caused his turnover to decrease by around 30 percent.(*)