InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Trade Minister Budi Santoso has issued a ban on the bundling of Minyakita, a subsidized cooking oil, to ensure that its distribution remains compliant with regulations and does not burden consumers ahead of Ramadan and Idulfitri this year.

During a working meeting with Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives on Monday, Budi revealed that the Ministry of Trade has sent letters to palm oil business associations, including the Indonesian Cooking Oil Industry Association (AIMMI), the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Industry Association (GIMNI), and the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (GAPKI). The letters were also directed to 40 cooking oil producers as part of an evaluation of the distribution chain and a reminder to refrain from bundling Minyakita.

In addition to the bundling ban, the Ministry of Trade has requested producers to double the supply of Minyakita during Ramadan and Idulfitri. This instruction is outlined in the Ministry's letter number BP00.01/83/PDN/SD/02/2025, issued on February 28, 2025.

"We have called all producers, and they have agreed to supply twice as much. The distribution and delivery of Minyakita will be focused on retailers across Indonesia," Budi explained, as reported by InfoSAWIT from CNN Indonesia on March 9, 2025.

This initiative follows a Limited Coordination Meeting led by Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan on February 26, 2025, where it was agreed that the price of Minyakita in traditional markets should not exceed the highest retail price (HET) of IDR 15,700 per liter.

To ensure compliance with the HET and smooth distribution, the Ministry of Trade is tightening oversight through collaboration with the Directorate General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order (Ditjen PKTN), the Food Task Force of the National Police, 38 local governments, and four Trade Order Monitoring Centers.

Budi emphasized that this initiative aims to ensure the availability of Minyakita throughout Indonesia. "The Ministry of Trade, along with the Food Task Force of the National Police, 38 local governments overseeing trade, and four Trade Order Monitoring Centers will conduct simultaneous monitoring to ensure smooth distribution and compliance with pricing regulations," he stated.

With this policy in place, it is hoped that the public will continue to receive subsidized cooking oil at affordable prices during Ramadan and Idulfitri. (T2)