Bapanas monitors soybean importers and distributors to ensure compliance with reference selling price

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) is ensuring tight supervision of soybean importers and distributors to keep selling prices in line with the Reference Selling Price (HAP), thereby maintaining supply stability and protecting the national consumer base. “As an affirmation, the government will not hesitate to take action against soybean importers and distributors if soybeans are found at unreasonable prices,” said Deputy for Food Availability and Stabilisation of Bapanas, I Gusti Ketut Astawa, when confirmed in Jakarta on Friday. Bapanas emphasised that prices of imported soybeans are still monitored within the HAP corridor as per government regulations. Ketut stated that he had held a coordination meeting with the Indonesian Tofu and Tempeh Producers Cooperative Union (GAKOPTINDO), where soybean prices remain in a reasonable range. Furthermore, Ketut explained that there will be firm measures if practices by soybean importers and distributors are found setting excessively high prices. For now, he assured that the condition of imported soybean prices is still quite good for tofu and tempeh artisans. “The most important thing is that importers must not raise prices, and distributors must not set high prices. If there are high prices, we will enforce the rules and pinch them. It should also be noted that more than 95 percent of soybeans are used by tofu and tempeh artisans,” said Ketut. According to GAKOPTINDO data processed by Bapanas as of 8 April, Ketut continued, the average soybean price in Jakarta is between Rp10,500 and Rp11,000 per kilogram (kg).