President Prabowo Subianto strongly criticized corrupt practices in Indonesia’s rice trade, promising to take action against companies that manipulate and raise the price of subsidized rice. Speaking at the 27th anniversary of the National Awakening Party (PKB), the President highlighted that these activities result in annual losses of up to Rp100 trillion for the country. He pointed out that despite government subsidies in various aspects of rice production, certain companies repackage the rice as ‘premium’ and sell it at a significantly higher price, leading to substantial financial losses.
President Prabowo revealed that 212 rice milling companies have been identified as engaging in such dishonest practices, with laboratory tests confirming their wrongdoing. He emphasized the criminal nature of this behavior, condemning it as a direct violation of the Constitution and a form of theft that deprives the people of essential resources. The President expressed outrage at the scale of these fraudulent activities, stressing that the enormous financial losses incurred could have been channeled into crucial public services such as education and healthcare.
In response to these findings, President Prabowo has instructed the National Police Chief and the Attorney General to take swift and decisive action. He made it clear that his actions are driven by a sense of duty to uphold the constitutional mandate to safeguard sectors vital to the state, including the rice industry. By cracking down on companies that exploit the system for personal gain, the President aims to restore fairness and integrity to Indonesia’s rice trade.
