"My feeling is that certain quarters are doing this with the aim of forcing us to boost our imports," Jokowi said.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo suspects that certain parties wish to take advantage of the rice distribution system to force the government to import rice.
"My feeling is that certain quarters are doing this with the aim of forcing us to boost our imports," he said during an inspection of the Rawamangun market on Saturday.
He said there will always be parties wishing to draw benefits from the Bulog (Logistic Agency) stock.
The President reiterated that he will not import rice because Indonesia will be entering a grand harvest season soon.
"I assure you there will be no rice imports because we will harvest rice soon," he told newsmen.
Regarding the involvement of rice "mafia," President Joko Widodo admitted that there have been indications of it.
"It has been happening for a long time. So give us time to identify them. If criminal elements are found, they must be immediately arrested. We must be firm because their activity is disruptive," he stated.
President Widodo also listened to traders, who complained they had enough stocks, but had been forced to raise prices in order to affect a sales drop.
He admitted he had checked with the traders and consumers at the Rawamangun market and discovered that prices had not fallen yet, although prices in the Cipinang Rice Market have already dropped.
The President, however, also noted that stocks from Cipinang had arrived already and hopefully prices will decline during the next one or two days.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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