Trade Minister: Rice Supply Enough for Next Six Months
30 November 2014 17:08 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel said that Indonesia still has an ample amount of rice available and the supply is sufficient for the next six months.
According to Rachmat, supply of rice at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) reaches 2 million tons of rice. He also said that 500,000 tons of rice has been distributed to the poor.
However, the said that the government is now facing difficulties distributing the rice equally all the regions in the country as several roads are in poor condition and are also under the threat of landslides during the current rainy season.
"These two factors are feared to impede the distribution of rice to the regions outside Java. However, we have coordinated this issue with the Transportation Minister in order to smoothen the distribution,” Rachmat said.
Furthermore, in order to meet the demand for staple food at the end of this year, Rachmat said that the ministry has cooperated with Artha Graha Group to hold ‘cheap markets’ all over Indonesia. In those markets, the people can get two kilograms of rice, 1 liter of cooking oil, o can of fluid milk, and three packages of instant noodle – all worth Rp60,000 – but the people will only have to pay Rp25,000.
URSULA FLORENE SONIA