Speaking in Badung, Bali, on Friday, he said that his ministry has made a list of companies suspected of not supporting government policies.
However, he made no mention of the number of companies nor their names.
"So, we have pinpointed several companies that seem to be playing games, and I have asked for and signed the letter, and I have given it to BPKP (Financial and Development Supervisory Agency, ed.), and BPKP has received it," he informed.
The agency will likely start auditing the companies in the near future, the minister said.
“There were companies which has goods are here, (yet) their offices are overseas. (The owner, ed.) lives abroad. I think it's unfair, too; we have to live with justice, too," he added.
The minister said that the government is paying special attention to cooking oil prices.
"The government nowadays pays special attention to the (general public so they can buy) cooking oil, and no less important is attention to oil palm farmers, in which the President (Joko Widodo, ed.) (has given directives to) our assistants so that the welfare of farmers becomes the main priority," the minister added.
The President has also repeatedly urged his aides at the ministry to prioritize the cooking oil price issue.
"Don't let the people become victims, it will cause instability. That (message) is very important, and I said that to my fellow businessmen friends that we are not harming entrepreneurs, but entrepreneurs also should not only seek to make their own profit," he said during the opening of a business matching event for CPO producers and bulk cooking oil entrepreneurs.
The minister pointed out that the government has continued to make sure that the price of cooking oil remains stable at Rp14 thousand per liter, while the price of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) from farmers remains above Rp2,500–Rp3,200.
In order to attain this goal, cooperation from various stakeholders is necessary, he added.
"Let us eliminate all existing bad prejudices and turn them into good cooperation, not only for farmers, producers, and the government, but also the participation of the public in this issue, (so) we can solve together," Pandjaitan added.
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Translator: Genta T M, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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