PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) through the Directorate General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order (Ditjen PKTN) is increasingly intensive in monitoring the distribution of Minyakita. This step is taken as an effort to ensure the availability and stability of cooking oil prices ahead of the National Religious Holidays (HBKN) Christmas and New Year or Natal and Tahun Baru (Nataru).
The Director General (Dirjen) of PKTN, Rusmin Amin, directly led the monitoring activity in Bekasi Regency, West Java, on Wednesday (18/12). In this activity, Rusmin was accompanied by Acting. Director of Trade Order Ronald Jenri Silalahi.
“The Ministry of Trade is intensifying the supervision of Minyakita distribution ahead of the Nataru HBKN. This supervision is carried out nationally with 38 provincial trade offices and four Trade Order Supervision Centers (BPTN),” Rusmin said in an official statement quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com, Friday (20/12/2024).
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Rusmin revealed, the results of the supervision showed that there was still a practice of bundling by business actors, namely the strategy of selling Minyakita together with other products that were less salable. This practice is considered to have the potential to burden the price of Minyakita, which should remain in accordance with the highest retail price (HET). “This bundling practice is expected not to hamper the distribution of Minyakita and still comply with the HET set by the government,” he said.
In response to the bundling practice, DG PKTN has sent evaluation letters to various business associations, including the Indonesian Edible Oil Industry Association (AIMMI), the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Industry Association (GIMNI), and the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI), as well as 40 cooking oil producers. The letter calls for the practice of bundling to be stopped to ensure smooth distribution.
Rusmin also revealed that since November 13, 2024, the Ministry of Trade has supervised 295 business actors, including producers, repackers, distributors, subdistributors, retailers, and modern retailers. “Administrative sanctions have been given to business actors who violate statutory provisions,” he added.
Furthermore, Rusmin emphasized that the Ministry of Trade together with the Food Task Force (Satgas) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) are ready to take action against violations in accordance with applicable legal provisions. He also encouraged local governments and the regional food task force to be more active in monitoring basic goods, especially ahead of the Nataru HBKN. (P2)
