Trade Minister Assures Minyakita HET Adjustment Unrelated to B50 Implementation

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Trade Minister Budi Santoso has assured that the planned adjustment to the Maximum Retail Price (HET) for Minyakita is not related to the implementation of the B50 biodiesel programme. “Not at all,” the Trade Minister said in Jakarta on Sunday. According to him, the adjustment is purely driven by the rising price of crude palm oil (CPO) raw materials and production costs, which affect the economic calculations for this people’s cooking oil product. In addition, the adjustment is being made considering that the Minyakita HET has not changed since 2024. “This is due to the CPO price increase and rising production costs. So we have to adjust everything,” he said. He added that the government is currently in the discussion stage regarding this adjustment. “We’re discussing it now,” said Budi. On the other hand, the Trade Minister assured that the national price and supply conditions for Minyakita remain under control. He stated that the current Minyakita price is around Rp15,800 per litre, even lower than before. “Previously it was around Rp15,900, so it’s actually good,” he revealed. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that there are still some regions with relatively higher prices, such as in Papua, due to distribution factors. “Indeed, there are certain areas that are a bit expensive, for example in Papua. Because of distribution factors. We have asked Bulog to distribute to Papua,” he explained. Meanwhile, from the supply side, the Trade Minister assured there are no significant issues. “No supply problems,” he concluded. Previously, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that Indonesia will implement the Biodiesel 50 (B50) policy or a 50 percent blend of crude palm oil with diesel to save subsidies worth Rp48 trillion. “As part of efforts for energy independence and energy efficiency, the government is implementing the B50 policy. This will take effect from 1 July 2026,” said Airlangga in a press conference on government policies in response to the global geopolitical situation, monitored online from Jakarta on Tuesday (31/3).