"To control (food) prices, the government will distribute assistance worth Rp8 trillion to the public from October to December," Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan announced after attending the 4th ASEAN Architects Congress here on Thursday.
He said the government has prepared the budget considering concerns over food shortages that could be caused by a potential drought triggered by the weather phenomenon.
"We worry that rivers will dry up. We need to be prepared," he said.
However, he assured that the prices of essential food commodities, except eggs and chicken, are still stable.
There are some commodities that need to be imported, such as soybeans and grains, he said.
"We do not import rice, corn, and salt as we are able to (ensure their availability), except for industries (which can import them)," he added.
Hasan said the government will subsidize corn prices if chicken prices rise - as corn is also used as chicken feed.
Earlier, Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Lestari Moerdijat asked the government to optimize anticipatory and adaptive actions to deal with the impact of El Nino.
It is necessary to issue policies to ensure food security, health, and economic stability, she stressed.
"We must optimize all the potential we have to answer risks of climate change and the long drought that is expected to hit Indonesia," she said on Wednesday (July 26, 2023).
Furthermore, to maintain purchasing power and control food inflation, the government has extended the rice assistance program to 21.3 million beneficiary families (KPM). The rice assistance will be distributed in October, November, and December this year.
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Translator: M Fatir, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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