TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir promised that he will pay close attention to the performance of SOEs in the food sector for one year ahead. Erick believed that the food sector is a complex sector from downstream to upstream.

"Issues surrounding food are overly complex. We are an agrarian country yet we continue to import," said the Minister in the virtual launching of food and non-food products on Tuesday, October 19, 2021. "Our inclination is towards farmers, breeders, and farm workers."

In order to fix the management of the food sector's supply chain, Erick Thohir said transformation needs to be introduced to state-owned enterprises, which is why his ministry is planning to form a holding overseeing and introducing efficiency and effectiveness for the food sector.

He believed that th presence of a holding company will strengthen partnerships with farmers, breeders, and fishermen that will eventually increase food productivity in upstream. While the downstream, which the SOEs holding comes in, will prepare the food ecosystem and fix the supply chain.

This way, Erick Thohir expects to improve the food ecosystem through the National Food Agency (BPN) as the role of each SOEs in the food sector.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA