Trade Ministry Scraps Ban on Sales of Bulk Cooking Oil
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10 December 2021 19:35 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Trade Ministry decided to lift the ban on the distribution of bulk cooking oil, which was planned to take effect on January 1, 2022. This means the sales of cooking oil can be carried out both in bulk and packages.
The ministry’s Director-General for Domestic Trade, Oke Nurwan, explained the policy was made in considerations of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic that forced many micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) actors to cut back on their production due to the people's low purchasing power.
“This aims at providing ease and opportunities for MSME business actors in running their business, especially in obtaining cooking oil at affordable prices, and encouraging them to continue production during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Oke at a press conference, Friday, December 10.
The government recorded that the need for bulk cooking oil for industry players, including MSMEs, reached 1.6 million tons. Meanwhile, the household sector needs 2.12 million tons of cooking oil. The national demand for the commodity totals five million tons per year.
Based on government monitoring, the national average price of bulk cooking oil is presently at Rp17,600 per liter, while packaged cooking oil has climbed to above Rp19,000 per liter.
Read: Trade Ministry to Ban Distribution of Bulk Cooking Oil in 2022
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