Don’t Export Too Much Raw Material, President Jokowi Says

President Jokowi on the Gathering with South Sumatra Provincial Rubber Farmers event in Banyuasin District, Saturday (9/3). (Photo by: Oji/PR).

Limiting raw rubber export is important to maintain price stability of this commodity, President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has said.

“I have instructed Minister of Industry not to export too much raw material abroad,” President Jokowi said in his remarks during a gathering with rubber farers in Banyuasin district, South Sumatra province, Saturday (9/3).

President Jokowi also encourages state-owned enterprises (BUMN) to buy raw rubber from local farmers at a good price and if the world rubber prices still did not improve, the BUMN could store the rubber first and export it once the price is improved.

According to the President, maintaining the price is challenging; thus, the Government sometimes has to make intervention because if the price is high, consumers will complain but if the price falls, farmers will also complain. Therefore, maintaining prices also means maintaining production, the President said.

Nevertheless, President Jokowi expressed hopes that raw rubber production can be maintained so the price will remain stable, adding that fluctuation in rubber prices occurs not only in Indonesia, but also in other countries. “I will continue to monitor it so that the prices which have started to improve will not drop again,” he said. (UN/EN)

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Edited by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas