TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto confirmed that the government had decided to import 1.6 million tons of rice to meet domestic needs due to a two-month delay in the harvest.

“There should be a big harvest in March-April, but it is postponed to April, May, and June, resulting in lower production, so the government decides to import,” Airlangga said in Jakarta on February 15.

In addition to importing, he stated that the government will be intensifying rice distribution under the Stabilization of Food Supply and Prices (SPHP) program from 150,000 tons to 250,000 tons to meet people's demand.

To facilitate the distribution process, he said that the basic commodity would be repackaged with adjusted weights.

“The rice is usually packed in 5 kilograms. For some regions, we distribute it in larger weights and each region can repack it in 50kg, 25kg, or 5kg packets,” said Airlangga, adding that the costs incurred during the repacking process would be reimbursed by the government.

Airlangga further emphasized that these efforts are necessary given the current global economic situation, which shows no signs of improvement in the future. “Global economic growth is still slowing down,” he said.

ANTARA

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