"The Minister of Trade must explain at the DPR meeting in order to know the considerations of increasing the import quota for salt and raw sugar, which is related to industrial needs," Bambang Soesatyo said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Bambang Soesatyo questioned the decision of the Minister of Trade (Kemendag) to increase salt and sugar quota, because it could make it difficult for salt and sugarcane farmers.

"The Minister of Trade must explain at the DPR meeting in order to know the considerations of increasing the import quota for salt and raw sugar, which is related to industrial needs," Bambang Soesatyo said in a written statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Bambang Soesatyo, who is familiarly called Bamsoet, said that this resulted in the Government`s results through the Ministry of Trade, namely import of salt of 3.7 tons and raw sugar of 111,000 tons.

On this occasion, Bamsoet also asked the Food Task Force to conduct research related to the abuse of industrial salt on the market which caused the price of salt to be low. "This also makes it difficult for salt farmers," he said.

The Golkar Party politician also asked the Ministry of Agriculture to determine the basic price in the form of farmers, in order to keep it in accordance with Law Number 7 of 2016 concerning Protection and Empowerment of Fishermen, Fish Cultivators and Salt Farmers.

Bamsoet is also the result of the Ministry of Trade`s decision to import raw material imports by 111,000 tons, which is estimated to enter in September 2018.

According to him, there must be supervision over matters in line with the Decree of the Minister of Industry and Trade No. 643 of 2002 concerning the Import Trade of Sugar.

There are data on production, consumption, and raw sugar needs that are a common reference, Bayern Ministry, Ministry of Trade, Indonesian People`s Cane Farmers Association (APTRI), and the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), must immediately equate data on production and needs for national sugar. "With the data concerned, the import of sugar will never hinder the country`s production," he said.

This former Deputy Chairperson of the House of Representatives Commission III added that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade must heed the planting period and the farmers` sugar cane harvest period in the country before issuing of import permit, to keep the sugar stock from the glud on the market and keep the price at the farmer level from falling.

Reported by Riza Harahap
Edited by Eliswan

Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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