Bulog prepares alternative storage facilities to ensure food supplies

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Perum Bulog, the state-owned food logistics company for the Jakarta and Banten regions, plans to prepare alternative storage facilities through collaboration with PD Pasar Jaya, a state-owned market operator, to use kiosks or shops in markets as storage facilities to ensure food supplies are available to traders or retailers.

“We are reviewing the readiness of the collaboration with the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to use kiosks or shops as alternative storage facilities,” said the Head of Perum Bulog for the DKI Jakarta and Banten regions, Taufan Akib, in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said that the use of kiosks or shops in each market managed by PD Pasar Jaya aims to ensure that the stock of food supplies for retailers is always available.

Taufan explained that currently, the government’s rice reserves in the warehouses of the DKI Jakarta and Banten regions amount to 218,000 tons.

He detailed that there are 131,000 tons in the warehouses in DKI Jakarta and 87,000 tons in the warehouses in Banten.

Taufan added that during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijri, they will also intensify synergy with policymakers to prevent potential price speculation and hoarding.

“We are working with the Regional Government, the Task Force for Price, Security, and Food Quality Violations, and related agencies to prevent price speculation and hoarding,” he said.

He hopes that this effort will be able to maintain price stability and create a conducive market environment.

In addition, Bulog for the DKI Jakarta and Banten regions will continue to carry out periodic monitoring to ensure that price stability and the supply of commodities remain stable.

Previously, Perum Bulog for the DKI Jakarta and Banten regions conducted random market monitoring at a number of traditional markets in DKI Jakarta.

“This monitoring was carried out as an effort to realise our commitment to maintaining national food security and providing a sense of security to the community in meeting their basic needs during National Religious Holidays (HBKN),” he said.

He said that Bulog is always present in the community to ensure that food commodities such as rice and oil can be easily accessed by the public.

He said that the stock in the warehouses of the DKI Jakarta and Banten regions is in a safe condition.