At a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto underscored that the additional cooking oil would complement the 10 kilograms of rice aid that has already been allocated for distribution to 18.3 million economically disadvantaged families across the country.
"In addition to 10 kilograms of rice, we have decided to provide two liters of MinyaKita-branded cooking oil to the targeted 18.3 million beneficiary families for two months," he pointed out.
The government plans to distribute the allocations for both months simultaneously in single packages. In other words, each beneficiary household is entitled to 20 kilograms of rice and four liters of cooking oil during the October–November period.
The food assistance, which is part of the set of 17 economic and empowerment initiatives announced on September 15 for rollout in 2025 and 2026, is designed not only to reduce the financial burden on low-income households but also to strengthen food security and help the government control inflation.
Hartarto noted that the Ministry of Finance had prepared a budget to support the inclusion of cooking oil in the food aid packages. However, neither he nor Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, disclosed the exact value of the funds earmarked.
"Mr. Finance Minister has readied a budget to distribute both 10 kilograms of rice and two liters of cooking oil to beneficiaries. The budget will suffice," Hartarto stated.
When announcing the policy package earlier this month, the government revealed that it had allocated a budget of Rp7 trillion (over US$400 million) to fund the rice aid program.
Separately, Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Arief Prasetyo Adi, explained that his agency had proposed an additional Rp6.5 trillion to finance the procurement and distribution of the cooking oil assistance.
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Translator: Bayu S, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Arie Novarina
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