Amran Dismisses Bapanas and Bulog Officials over Alleged SPHP Rice Misappropriation

Jakarta (ANTARA) — National Food Agency (Bapanas) chief and Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has dismissed officials from Bapanas and state-owned Perum Bulog following alleged misappropriation of rice distributed under the Food Supply and Price Stabilisation (SPHP) programme. He said the move was intended to strengthen governance of the national food distribution system.

“There were 10 officials from Bulog and Bapanas. Two were given warnings and eight were dismissed. The matter will then be followed up by the Food Task Force. If anyone is found guilty, they will face firm action under the law,” Amran said in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said the action followed the discovery of alleged SPHP rice misappropriation, in which private-sector actors are suspected of mixing the rice with premium varieties. Eight officials at Bulog and Bapanas were dismissed, while two others received warnings.

Meanwhile, nine private-sector actors have been subject to legal proceedings, with one named as a suspect.

Amran said the dismissals reflected accountability for oversight of SPHP rice management. The government would not allow violations to go unpunished, particularly when the commodity involved was subsidised rice intended to help the public.

“There is already a suspect. But the main perpetrator will be identified later,” Agriculture Minister Amran said when asked about the progress of the case.

He explained that the dismissed employees were responsible for negligence in carrying out their duties. Further examinations would determine whether there was any criminal involvement requiring action by law enforcement authorities.

“From top to bottom, dismiss them all. This is about responsibility. We do not yet know how far their involvement goes, but they were negligent in carrying out their duties. So we have dismissed them,” he said.

The alleged scheme involved buying rice from Bulog, opening the packaging and transferring the rice into different sacks. It was then sold through other channels, including being marketed as premium rice or mixed with other rice to generate greater profits.

“Individuals, companies and corporations are manipulating it. This subsidised SPHP rice, which should be sold to consumers for Rp12,500 per kilogram, is sold to companies for Rp11,500, but the packaging is then opened. This is a crime. It is repackaged as premium rice or mixed with other, lower-quality rice, then sold at a higher price,” he said.

Amran described the practice as a serious deviation because SPHP rice is distributed with government subsidies to ensure people can obtain food at affordable prices.

“This is to help our less well-off brothers and sisters, but they take what is rightfully theirs and manipulate it. This is a crime,” he said.

The government provides substantial support to sustain food production and distribution. For 2026, total subsidies and upstream-sector support outlined by Amran amount to about Rp160 trillion, up from Rp144 trillion in 2025. The support includes fertiliser, tractors and irrigation, among other items.

The government also sets a Government Purchase Price (HPP) to support producers and a Highest Retail Price (HET) to protect consumers. Bulog receives subsidy support when purchasing rice, which Amran said amounted to Rp6,000 per kilogram.

Bulog president director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani said the officials suspended were based at the company’s Jakarta and Banten regional offices.

“This is like a regional post—if there is a riot or a major bomb explosion in a particular area, the leaders responsible for that area must answer for it. It is the same in this case, which concerns Bulog’s Jakarta regional office,” Rizal said.

“This is the responsibility of a leader and the staff in charge. Following the Agriculture Minister’s instructions and a Bulog board meeting, we decided that six people would be suspended and two would receive warning letters, in line with his consideration. This is our responsibility,” he added.

Rizal said the suspensions were an expression of management’s moral responsibility and a preventive measure to support the investigation into the alleged SPHP rice misappropriation.

He stressed that the suspended Bulog officials had not been proven to have committed a crime. The measure was not taken because they were implicated, he said, but to preserve professionalism and objectivity during the investigation.

According to Rizal, temporarily suspending the officials would ensure they could not interfere with the investigation and allow the examinations to proceed independently, transparently and accountably. Officials found not to be involved would have their rights restored through appointment to equivalent positions, while those found guilty would be dealt with under the law.

Rizal added that Bulog is responsible for overseeing Rumah Pangan Kita (RPK), and instructed all staff to verify, inspect and monitor distribution partners to prevent further irregularities in SPHP rice distribution.