Jakarta – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has directed Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan to address the cooking oil shortages in Java and Bali.
“The president encouraged the minister for maritime affairs and investment to assist in ensuring the availability and distribution of cooking oil in accordance with the target, (particularly) in the Java-Bali area,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Jodi Mahardi, said on Tuesday.
Pandjaitan and the team will work with the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs as the lead coordinator, involving technical ministries and institutions such as the Trade Ministry, Industry Ministry, Finance Ministry, Food Task Force, Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP), and the Attorney General’s Office for supervision.
“The government will closely monitor this after the export prohibition is lifted and will continue to hold parallel discussions on this issue,” Mahardi said.
He also stated that the government will utilize digital applications to monitor the distribution of cooking oil.
“The goal is bulk cooking oil, with government-set pricing dispersed as equally as possible,” he explained.
Previously, the government decided to abolish the prohibition on cooking oil and its raw materials exports since the availability and price of bulk cooking oil had stabilized.
The export of cooking oil and its raw materials has been temporarily prohibited since April 28, 2022, while the government has taken measures to meet the community’s need for cooking oil at affordable costs.