A replacement for Bulog<\/p>\n
State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin has
\nannounced that the government is planning to have the State
\nLogistics Agency (Bulog) replaced by another agency -- at the end
\nof this year at the latest -- in order to improve the
\ndistribution and price stability of food and other essential
\ncommodities. According to Saefuddin, the new agency will be
\nnoncommercial and financed with funds provided by the state and
\nother sources.<\/p>\n
According to Law No.7\/1996, the government's role is to
\ndistribute food and stabilize food prices and assure that stocks
\nare sufficient, that commodities are easily available and that
\nthey are affordable to all. During the past New Order regime,
\nhowever, Bulog's duties were so expansive that these functions
\noften became blurred.<\/p>\n
What could be wrong with Bulog?<\/p>\n
Under the agreement reached between Indonesia and the
\nInternational Monetary Fund (IMF), Bulog will by the end of 1999
\nbe entrusted only with overseeing the trade of rice. Trade in
\nother commodities, such as sugar, flour, soybeans and cooking
\noil, will be made free (of subsidies), and actually already has
\nbeen freed.<\/p>\n
As far as the public is concerned, it matters little what the
\nname of the new agency will be. What is important is that rice
\nwill always be available in sufficient quantities and at an
\naffordable price. If Bulog is to be \"reformed\", therefore, the
\nimprovement must be complete. If this is to be achieved, Bulog's
\npolicies must be assured to correspond to the government's
\nnational food policies. If we want rice to be available in
\nsufficient quantities, incentives must be given to rice
\nproducers. During the New Order regime the purchasing power of
\nfarmers underwent a steady decline due to inappropriate policies.<\/p>\n
-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-replacement-for-bulog-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }