Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia during Distribution of Social Assistance at Bangkal Market in Sumenep Regency, East Java Province, April 20, 2022
Press
Sir, how about the distribution of Cooking Oil Direct Cash Assistance so far?
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
The distribution of BLT Cooking Oil is still in process. Everything is going well. I haven’t heard any issue on the ground that hinders it, either through the post office or through the subdistrict. We hope that the Cooking Oil Cash Assistance can strengthen people’s purchasing power and ease their financial burden due to the rising price of cooking oil.
Press
How about the preparation of mudik through land, air and sea transportation?
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
If we look at the figures who go mudik by plane, I think there are still some spaces available. Then for those who will go mudik by train, there are also still some seats available for the public.
However, for those who will go mudik by land transportation, there will be 23 million cars and 17 million motorcycles that will commute. These are not small numbers. The Government has held three cabinet meetings for discussing this issue, to really prepare the upcoming traffic situation. If there is no traffic arrangement, on the 28th, 29th, and 30th April 2022 the traffic will be completely jammed. The Government will apply odd-even plate number arrangements, one-way arrangements, and also temporarily ban trucks from using toll roads and national roads. However, that is not enough.
Therefore, I invite people who will go mudik by car to go earlier. Go earlier for those who will travel by car. 23 million is not a small number; 23 million cars (and) 17 million motorcycles are not a small number.
Press
What is the solution to anticipate traffic jams, Sir?
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
As I said earlier: the odd-even plate number arrangement, the one-way arrangement, prohibition of the trucks from the toll road. That is our effort. However, since the numbers are too big, the traffic will still stick on the 28th, 29th, 30th April 2022. Therefore, for that reason, I once again invite you to go earlier.
Press
Yesterday, the Prosecutor’s Office named four people in the cooking oil corruption case. Any response to that, Sir?
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
The cooking oil is still our problem until now. Even though we have given subsidies for cooking oil, we want the price to decline near to normal price. So, why the price is highly increasing? It is due to the fact that the international price is really high, so the producers tend to export it because the price is high overseas.
Therefore, we have adopted some policies, such as setting the highest retail price for bulk oil, then subsidies to producers. However, the policy has not been delivering effective result in the last few weeks. At the market, I see many times that bulk cooking oil is sold not according to the price cap that we have determined. It means that there is a ploy behind it.
Therefore, yesterday, the Attorney General’s Office has named four suspects in the cooking oil case, and I have demanded that the case be settled, so we know who the perpetrators are.
Press
Data on the cooking oil mafia has not been submitted by Ministry of Trade to the Police?
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Ask Ministry of Trade.
Press
Thank you, Sir.
(EST/LW)