InfoSAWIT, KARAWANG - The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) has revealed a new modus operandi of fraud committed by the MINYAKITA cooking oil packaging company, PT Artha Eka Global Asia (AEGA). This disclosure was made by the Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso, during a press conference at the PT AEGA factory in Karawang, West Java.
During the press conference, Kemendag found that PT AEGA not only reduced the volume of oil in its 1-liter packaging but also misused the MINYAKITA brand license. “This company granted the MINYAKITA brand license to two other unregistered packaging factories in exchange for compensation,” Minister Budi Santoso stated in a written statement received by InfoSAWIT on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
The monitoring team from Kemendag discovered that the 1-liter cooking oil packaging from PT AEGA contained only about 750-800 milliliters. Additionally, during the raid, 32,384 empty bottles of various sizes and 30 units of 1-ton capacity cooking oil filling tanks were secured.
Furthermore, Kemendag revealed that the two companies licensed by PT AEGA did not possess the National Standardization Agency (SNI) Product Use Certificate (SPPT-SNI) or distribution permits from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM). As a result, the quality and measurement of the products were not guaranteed, making it difficult to control the highest retail price (HET).
Moreover, the investigation showed that PT AEGA used non-Domestic Market Obligation (non-DMO) commercial cooking oil to package as MINYAKITA. Due to the higher price of commercial cooking oil, the company circumvented this by reducing the packaging volume to maintain sales close to the HET of MINYAKITA.
As a decisive action, Kemendag will revoke PT AEGA's MINYAKITA brand usage license and issue a product withdrawal notice. “We will hand over the criminal aspects to the Indonesian National Police for further processing,” emphasized Minister Budi Santoso. The Banten Police have begun legal proceedings against the two companies that received illegal licenses from PT AEGA.
This case originated from findings by Kemendag and police officers in early March 2025 at traditional markets in Jabodetabek. Officers discovered MINYAKITA products from PT AEGA that were allegedly packaged incorrectly. Further investigations on March 7, 2025, at PT AEGA's factory in Depok, West Java, revealed that the company had relocated to Karawang. This oversight coincided with a price check by the Minister of Agriculture at Lenteng Agung Market in Jakarta on March 8, 2025, which also found measurement violations by PT AEGA.
Kemendag emphasized that it will continue to conduct strict supervision of errant MINYAKITA businesses. Previously, in January 2025, Kemendag sealed PT Navyta Nabati Indonesia (NNI) in Tangerang due to similar violations.
Additionally, the Director-General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order at Kemendag, Moga Simatupang, revealed that from November 2024 to March 2025, Kemendag, along with the Food Task Force of the police, has monitored 316 business actors across 23 provinces. A total of 66 violators have received administrative sanctions and have been ordered to comply with applicable regulations.
To enhance oversight, Kemendag has opened a complaint channel for the public to report fraud in MINYAKITA products. Reports can be sent via WhatsApp at +62-853-1111-1010.
The Head of the Food Task Force, Helfi Assegaf, emphasized that they will continue to conduct strict supervision, especially ahead of Eid. “We will not tolerate businesses that commit such fraud. Oversight will continue both centrally and regionally,” concluded Helfi. (T2)
