Government lifts export ban

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Industry and Trade Rahardi Ramelan has defended the government's recent move to lift the ban on exports of sugar and wheat flour.

The minister said the removal of the export bans would not affect the supply of the commodities on the domestic market.

"I decided to lift the export bans after taking into account all possibilities. There is no need to fear that the commodities will be hard to find on the market following the ban removal," Rahardi told reporters after Friday prayer.

Rahardi, who is also chairman of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), also denied that the move was taken so that Bulog could release its stocks.

He said the agency presently had 540,608 tons of sugar and 444,438 tons of wheat flour on hand as of the end of March. The stocks will be released gradually onto market so as not to disrupt local prices, he added.

The government lifted the ban imposed on exports of sugar, wheat flour and soybean last week.

The ban was imposed in July last year to prevent the reexportation of the three commodities. The government previously imported the commodities and sold them at subsidized prices. (gis)