Mendag Raises Voice on Illegal Rice Imports in Aceh Hundreds of tons of rice were imported by the company with initials PT MSG. Red: Ahmad Fikri Noor

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Trade Minister Budi Santoso responded to the discovery of the illegal import of 250 tons of rice in Sabang, Aceh. "It was handled yesterday, it was handled. Mr. Amran (Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman) has also explained," said Trade Minister Budi when met in Jakarta, Tuesday (25/11/2025). The man, also known as Busan, assessed that the import of rice was not necessary because domestic rice stocks were still abundant and even surplus. "The President's (Prabowo Subianto) directive is that we should not import, because we are surplus. There is still plenty within the country, why must we import?" he said. Previously, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman said that a warehouse of rice belonging to a private businessman in Sabang, Aceh, was sealed because it had illegally imported 250 tons of rice, without any approval from the central government. "There was rice entering Sabang, that is 250 tons without permission from the center, without ...