House Demands Accounts from Trade Minister on Rice Import
24 August 2018 17:36 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - House of Representatives (DPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo, popularly known as Bamsoet, has favored Commission IV to immediately summon Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita.
“I support the House Commission IV's plans to summon the Trade Minister, to account for the rice import policy," he said on Friday, August 24.
He added the summons was based on information that the Trade Ministry had increased the rice import quota of the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) by one million ton, thus allowing Bulog to import two million tons of rice in total.
Read: Government Adamant to Import Rice Despite Widespread Refusal
Bamsoet said rice import policy had often stirred public speculations, so the House hoped the Trade Minister could clarify the situation. "The DPR hopes accounts from the Trade Minister can assuage the speculations," he said.
Earlier, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said the increased rice import quota was decided on three months ago and would be effective till 2018. The minister said the increase was necessary to secure the country's declining rice stocks.
ANTARA
