Agriculture Minister: Rice Mafia Behind SPHP Scheme Must Be Rooted Out
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has urged police to root out the rice mafia behind the Food Supply and Price Stabilisation (SPHP) programme after discovering the alleged blending of subsidised rice with premium rice in East Jakarta.
Amran said the investigation must not stop with those already detained if inquiries uncover other networks involved in distributing or repackaging the subsidised rice.
“If possible, root it out to the very last branch. As Agriculture Minister, I appeal to the police chief and the police to investigate this down to its roots,” Amran said on Wednesday during a spot inspection at the Kayumanis Rice Shop/House on Jalan Kayumanis X No. 46A, Pisangan Baru, Matraman, East Jakarta.
He said law enforcement officers needed to trace the entire distribution chain, including the rice’s origin, where it was repackaged, its route to market and who profited from the practice.
He said dismantling the rice-mafia network was important to ensure the supply and price stabilisation programme delivered lasting benefits to the people who needed it.
Amran stressed that the government would not tolerate anyone proven to have misused subsidised rice, saying the practice harmed the public and disrupted the national food trade.
He said preliminary information pointed to a Bulog warehouse in Kelapa Gading as the rice’s source, but that this information still needed to be examined further by police investigators.
If any Agriculture Ministry employees or other parties were found to be involved, Amran said they would be dismissed and face legal proceedings in accordance with applicable laws.
He also praised the swift action by the East Jakarta Police and its intelligence and security unit, which he said had uncovered the alleged misuse of SPHP rice before it spread further among the public.
Amran said prosecuting the rice mafia was necessary to deter future offences and strengthen public confidence in the government’s ongoing food programmes. He hoped the investigation would be completed so that all those responsible were held to account and the misuse of SPHP rice did not recur.
The minister carried out spot inspections at two locations in East Jakarta where SPHP rice was allegedly being blended and sold as premium rice, as part of efforts to safeguard the rice trade.
At the first location, the Kayumanis Rice Shop/House on Jalan Kayumanis X in Matraman, Amran found evidence of the alleged misuse of subsidised rice, which was reportedly resold as premium rice at a higher price. The volume involved was 600 tonnes.
After leaving Kayumanis, Amran and police officials continued their inspection in the Cipinang Rice Market area to investigate allegations of similar activity.
There, Amran suspected that the alleged rice-blending operation was taking place on a large scale, potentially involving thousands of tonnes if repeated every day.