The Ministry of Communication Office Apologizes, Rice Aid Now Reaches 16 Billion, Not 1.3 Billion Anymore The Ministry of Communication emphasizes its commitment to maintaining data accuracy and transparency. Red: Dwi Murdaningsih

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) responded to the public's heightened attention regarding the data on aid circulating for the communities affected by the disaster in Sumatra. The government expressed appreciation to netizens who participated in monitoring and providing input regarding the transparency of the data. Head of the Communication and Information Services Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, Moch. Arief Cahyono, conveyed an apology for the data that became a topic of public discussion. For Kementan, public oversight is very helpful in ensuring the accountability of each aid. "We thank all netizens who participated in the monitoring, and we announce that the government's rice aid has reached 1,200 tons worth 16 billion rupiah," he said, Monday (8/12/2025). Arief explained that the initial aid data circulating worth 1.3 billion did not include the full volume units. The volume of 21,874 mentioned was the number of rice packages, with each ...