“It has indeed been made limited to prevent residents from purchasing the cooking oil brand in bulk because we are supplying the cooking oil specifically for low-income residents who need it," he said after reviewing food prices at Pasar Minggu here on Thursday.
The highest retail price for MinyaKita is Rp14 thousand (US$0.95) per liter and purchase of the oil in large quantities has been prohibited, he added.
However, the stocks of the subsidized cooking oil brand remain abundant and it is available in most markets nationwide, he stressed.
"The reason MinyaKita is being sold for Rp14 thousand and cannot be purchased in large quantities is that we expect the cooking oil to be purchased only by low-income residents," Widodo explained.
Last March, head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo, had urged residents not to be concerned about MinyaKita stocks during the Ramadan fasting period, saying the government was continuing to ensure its targeted distribution.
During a coordination meeting presided by Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, on February 6, 2023, it was decided that the supply of cooking oil would be increased from 300 thousand tons to 450 thousand tons to meet domestic demand, he said.
Moreover, the government would continue to strive to ensure the availability of MinyaKita cooking oil at the highest retail price of Rp14 thousand.
Prasetyo also said that the National Food Agency would continue monitoring and encouraging the distribution of MinyaKita through the Affordable Food Movement, launched simultaneously in provinces nationwide.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi G, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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