National

Government Allows Bulog to Import Rice
Saturday, 10 September, 2005 | 18:22 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian government has decided to allow the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to import rice.

Minister of Trade Mari Elka Pangestu said that the amount of rice to be imported is around 250,000 tons.

“This is aimed at ensuring that Bulog’s rice stocks by the end of this year amount to at least 1.2 million tons,” stated Pangestu following a closed meeting led by Vice President Jusuf Kalla at his office on Friday (09/09).

Pangestu said that this rice needed to be imported as the government is continuing the rice program for the poor.

The imports will begin starting next month and carry on until the end of this year.

The amount of the imports, she said, was considered small when viewed over the last 20 years.

Only Bulog has been given a license so that the situation is fully controlled and market prices will not be distorted.

Bulog Executive Director Widjanarko Puspoyo said that the government had allocated around 180,000 tons of rice each month for the poor.

By the end of this year, it is estimated that the amount of rice allocated by the government for the poor will amount to around 720,000 tons.

The imports are to be carried out because it would be impossible to purchase domestic rice and this could disturb the market.

The countries from where the rice will be imported are still to be chosen. (Budi Riza-Tempo News Room)