CPO availability

I am writing in response to The Jakarta Post's April 13 article on a plan to lift the CPO export ban from April 22.

Crude palm oil (CPO) is one of the crucial basic commodities after rice, merely due to the fact that CPO-based cooking oils play a prominent role in Indonesian cuisine, including for frying tofu and tempeh. Without oil tofu and tempeh are tasteless to Indonesians. So, if CPO prices are increased, the people will suffer.

My mother always buys coconut oil at the market. When I was a child, she even made it herself.

The government should exercise extra caution in deciding to lift the CPO export ban mainly because we have experienced an uncontrollable rise of oil prices for the past six months.

My recommendations are:

* Lift the ban, but impose a 20 percent (maximum) export tax, in the hope that the tax is better than the complicated procedure of smuggling CPO.

* CPO producers should be allowed to export only after they can prove a 40 percent domestic supply has been fulfilled.

* Price stabilizer agency should ensure that stand-by supplies are available during peaks seasons like Idul Fitri and New Year.

BAMBANG

Jakarta