President Jokowi: Rice Reserves Must be Ensured

INDUSTRY.co.id - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Monday (10/23) said that rice reserves in State Logistics Agency’s (Bulog) warehouses in the regions must still be ensured although the regions experience surplus in rice production.

“West Sumatra province records a rice production surplus. Nevertheless, (rice) reserves still must be ensured. For that reason, as we have witnessed earlier, there are abundant (rice) reserve in Bulog warehouse,” he said in a press statement after inspecting rice reserves in Bulog’s warehouse in East Rawang, Padang, West Sumatra province, Wednesday (10/25).

On that occasion, the President also distributed food assistance from the Government’s rice reserves (CBP) to beneficiaries.

According to him, the beneficiary families (KPM) receive the assistance three times from September to November.

The President also confirmed that the Government has decided to provide food assistance for one more month.

“We will distribute it again in December. This is our decision (to provide food assistance),” he said, adding that the Government is preparing a scheme to provide cash assistance for people affected by El Niño.

“Super El Niño should not weaken people’s purchasing power. Thus, we will distribute El Niño cash assistance in November and December, Rp200,000 for each month. The total would be Rp400,000,” he concluded. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/AIT) (RAS/EP)