State Loses Trillions on Dirty Onion Importers: Amran Sulaiman
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Kamis, 1 Januari 1970 07:00 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has boycotted five onion importer companies for fraud that cost the nation trillions of rupiahs.
"It is with regret but we have to blacklist the five companies, because they harm our farmers, burdeni the consumers and cause inflation, eventually the result is poverty,” said Amran at his ministry on Friday, June 22.
Amran said the five companies, identified with initials only as PT TAU, PT SMA, PT KAS, PT FMP and PT JS had committed fraud by importing small onions and sold them as shallots.
“It's ironic, there are illegal imported onions whereas we have exported them,” he said.
Read: Ministry Blacklists 5 Garlic Importers for Price-fixing
Amran said he would revoke the companies' permits and the owners would be barred from applying for another one.
“Although they change the company, I will not allow it,” said Amran.
The Director of Processing and Marketing of Horticulture Products of the Directorate General of Agriculture, Yasid Taufik, said the onions originated from India.
Read: Agriculture Minister: Indonesia Export Shallots to Six Countries
"They entered [Indonesia] from Medan, Jakarta, and Surabaya," he said.
"There were 3,600 tons in total" he said.
CHITRA PARAMAESTI
