Jakarta –
Perum Bulog canceled importing additional rice totaling 1.5 million tons. According to the Main Director of Bulog, Budi Waseso, the rice import contract is only 1 million tons.
In other words, 500 thousand tons will not be imported. Meanwhile, of the total 1 million tonnes, 600 thousand tonnes will arrive first. The remaining 400 thousand tons will arrive in January 2024.
“The 1.5 million tons, only 600 thousand can be realized this year, the remaining 1 million that is contracted will only be 400 thousand. The 500 thousand forfeited cannot be carried over, the carry over is only what is contracted this year,” said the man who is usually called Buwas at the DPR Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (8/11/2023).
According to Buwas, 500 thousand tons of rice were canceled because of Indonesia’s loading and unloading capacity. Apart from that, prices and quality that are explored in various countries also have an influence.
“Because our port’s unloading capacity is not sufficient, now if we unload just 20 thousand tons, we can unload it in 6 days,” he explained.
“Then our ability to buy it is also apart from price and quality, so if like now, in the situation where the dollar rises, everything will affect the buying price. If the buying price is more expensive than here, then there’s no point,” continued the former Head of the National Narcotics Agency.
As a result, Bulog’s total rice imports amounted to 3 million tons. Consisting of 2 million tons in early 2023, and 1 million tons at the end of the year.
A different opinion was expressed by the Head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo Adi. According to Arief, the import quota of 500 thousand tons should not just be forfeited.
Arief plans to discuss the issue of canceling the 500 thousand tons of rice imports again.
“Later we want to talk about it, it shouldn’t be arbitrary. We should put discretionary quotation marks, but if for example that’s not the case, what else can we do? What we mean is that we just absorb it locally when the time is right,” he concluded.
(ada/hns)
2023-11-08 15:21:18
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