Amran Requests IDR 17.73 Trillion Budget Boost for Food Agency: What For?

National Food Agency (Bapanas) Head Amran Sulaiman has proposed a massive additional budget for 2027. He requested an extra IDR 17.73 trillion, arguing that the current indicative ceiling was insufficient to execute various strategic programmes in the food sector. During a working meeting with House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IV at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta, Amran revealed that Bapanas’s indicative ceiling for 2027 stood at only IDR 110.3 billion. According to him, this figure falls far short of the real needs of the institution tasked with safeguarding national food stability. ‘This indicative ceiling is not yet fully capable of supporting the implementation of national priority programmes mandated to the National Food Agency,’ Amran stated during the meeting. Consequently, Bapanas is requesting an additional budget of IDR 17.73 trillion. If the proposal is approved by the government and the DPR, the agency’s total budget for 2027 will reach IDR 17.84 trillion. ‘Thus, the total budget requirement for the National Food Agency for 2027 amounts to IDR 17.84 trillion, which will be used to support the achievement of national food development targets and the implementation of various government programmes,’ he said. Amran explained that the additional budget would be used to support several government priority programmes in the food sector. One key initiative is the distribution of 735,000 tonnes of rice aid to the public. Additionally, Bapanas has prepared a food aid programme to tackle stunting, involving 5,700 tonnes of chicken meat and 8,600 tonnes of chicken eggs. In the price stabilisation sector, the extra budget will be used for the Food Supply and Price Stabilisation (SPHP) programme, covering 600,000 tonnes of rice, 200,000 tonnes of maize, and 50,000 tonnes of soybeans. Furthermore, Bapanas has allocated a rice aid programme for natural disaster response totalling 3,300 tonnes. The additional funds will also support the implementation of the Cheap Food Movement (GPM) up to 1,560 times across various regions in Indonesia. Other programmes included in the budget spending plan involve the development of food kiosks in 38 provinces, the development of 50 community food barns, and the creation of food houses for 1,320 community groups. Moreover, the budget will be directed towards strengthening the fresh food safety system, interventions in food-insecure regions, food rescue actions, the formulation of food regulations and policies, and the strengthening of Bapanas’s functions at both the central and regional levels.