Jakarta –
Minister of Agriculture (Minister of Agriculture) Syahrul Yasin Limpo did not appear at a meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Palace this morning. Main Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso (Buwas) revealed the reason.
The limited meeting (ratas) with Jokowi was related to the distribution of food ingredients. Buwas said the parties involved in the ratas were Bulog, the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), and the National Food Agency.
“No. This is the ops that the President meant earlier, this is how to carry out market ops. The stabilization of market ops is at the Ministry of Trade, nih. Bulog is the executor. The National Food Agency is in charge of the regulation. That is aja possible. So don’t go anywhere in your mind,” Buwas told reporters at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday (31/1/2023).
Meanwhile, continued Buwas, the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) is engaged in the production sector. According to him, in this limited meeting, Jokowi is focusing on discussing the distribution of food ingredients.
“Because the production team is the one that prioritized the president’s distribution, so the three of us are responsible for the distribution,” he said.
Thus, Buwas ensured that his presence and a number of other parties to the palace this morning were not related to business reshuffle. He also refuses to speculate if Jokowi offers him a position in the cabinet.
“Nothing (question reshuffle). Don’t be possible. No way. No way that’s it. My job is a very difficult job,” he said.
When asked if he was willing to get a position in the cabinet, Buwas emphasized that his party was focusing on Bulog regarding food distribution.
“Now help me distribute it. Please supervise it so that our targets are achieved, the goals of the state and society are well served, we can buy rice cheaply. That is the most important thing,” he said.
Jokowi Holds Limited Meeting
Previously it was reported, Jokowi held two limited meetings today. Two ministers from NasDem were not seen at the meeting with Jokowi.
The meetings were held on Tuesday (31/1/2023) at the State Palace, Central Jakarta. Seen attending the meeting on food was Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas), Head of Bulog Budi Waseso, and Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo, who was also in charge of food matters, was not seen attending. Budi Waseso or Buwas said that only three parties were invited to the meeting, namely he and Zulhas and Arief Prasetyo Adi.
“The only three people I invited were rice matters,” said Buwas after the meeting.
Buwas said the discussion at the meeting was about the distribution of market operations. “Yes, this is a matter of channeling market operations. The Minister of Trade is stabilizing, I am the executor, Mr. Arief is the one count balance sheet,” he said.
See also the video ‘Response of Syahrul Yasin Limpo after being urged by the PDIP to resign from the Minister of Agriculture’:
(fca/one)
