With the relaxation, which was first applied on March 10, the HET of premium-quality rice has risen from Rp13,900 (around US$0.86) per kilogram to Rp14,900 (around US$0.92).
At a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, Bapanas Head Arief Prasetyo Adi noted that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has approved the extension of the HET relaxation.
“There was price flexibility from March 10 until April 23. Today, we extended it until May 31 this year,” he informed.
The extension is the second HET relaxation so far. The relaxation was initially planned to end on March 23.
Adi affirmed that his agency will coordinate with ministries and institutions to validate the new HET of premium-quality rice through an agency regulation.
Additionally, the HET for medium-quality rice is currently being discussed, namely in the range of Rp12 thousand (around US$0.74) per kilogram to Rp12,500 (around US$0.77).
The Bapanas head said that it is likely that the government will review the relaxation of the HET for premium-quality and medium-quality rice if the harvest yield and rice production increase.
“If the harvest is good, then production increases, agro input goes down, why don't we reduce it (the HET)?” he added.
He further said that amid the increase in the prices of medium-quality and premium-quality rice, 22 million beneficiary families are still receiving 10-kilogram rice assistance from the government every month.
Even though he did not give any certainty regarding the end of the assistance provision, he emphasized that the rice assistance would still be provided in June.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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