KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. Perum Bulog reports that rice imports have reached 659,000 tons as of Sunday (25/2).  

The Head of Operational Planning and Public Service Division of Perum Bulog, Epi Sulandari, confirmed that this import realization is part of the rice import assignment for 2024. 

"As of February 25, 2024, we have received 659,000 tons of rice from imports," Epi said in the Inflation Control Coordination Meeting in Jakarta, on Monday (26/2). 

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Epi emphasized that this import stock is to strengthen the government's rice reserve (CBP) for market intervention, one of which is through the Stabilization of Food Supply and Price (SPHP) program for rice. 

"President Jokowi's directive is to maximize the SPHP distribution to 200,000 tons per month for the period of January to March 2024," Epi explained. 

The realization of SPHP as of Sunday (25/2) has reached 322,930 tons and has been distributed to the main rice markets, traditional markets, and modern markets. 

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In addition, Bulog also distributes SPHP directly to the community through the Bulog Siaga program. This program collaborates with the Regional Government (Pemda) to flood the stock. 

This year alone, Perum Bulog has been assigned to import as much as 3.6 million tons. As many as 2 million tons have been decided since last year. Then the remaining 1.6 million tons were just decided in early February 2024 through a coordination meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. 

Currently, Bulog is waiting for changes from the commodity balance sheet in order to submit an import approval request (PI) from the Ministry of Trade. 

Editor: Syamsul Azhar