Task Force on Food Investigates Cooking Oil Producers Raising Prices Above HET The government is preparing criminal sanctions and license revocation. Rep: Frederikus Dominggus Bata/ Red: Ahmad Fikri Noor

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The Food Task Force (Satgas Pangan) is investigating vegetable oil producers suspected of raising prices above the highest retail price (HET) ahead of Christmas and New Year (Nataru). Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that the investigation is being conducted down to the factory level after the government found indications of violations upstream. The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) together with the Food Task Force and related agencies are working to ensure the stability of prices of commodities that have been set by the HET, particularly vegetable oil. The government considers this step important to protect the public during the holiday period, when the national supply is in surplus. “Yesterday we found that two companies had raised prices. We checked upstream and the prices were above the HET. So we asked to trace it back to the producers and have it checked,” said Amran during a press briefing at the Kementan Head Office, Jakarta, ...