Jakarta, Feb 2 (Antara) - Gita Wirjawan's resignation as trade minister
amid controversies over the importation of 16.900 tons of rice from
Vietnam can create a different perception, though, he says, his
resignation has no link with the rice import.
"Although Gita Wirjawan has explained that he resigns because he wants
to concentrate on a presidential candidate convention, his resignation
can create another perception because it happens amid controversies of
rice imports," Siti Zuhro, senior political researcher of the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said on Saturday.
She is of the view that Gita's decision to resign from his post as
trade minister was not a correct step because it happened amid the
controversies over rice imports whose permits were issued by his
ministry (the Ministry of Trade).
"Gita's resignation is questionable whether his reason is really for
concentrating on the presidential candidate convention. Why he resigns
amid the rice import controversies issue," the LIPI researcher
questioned.
She argued that as a leader he should be responsible and should have settled the rice problem before he resigned.
The rice import issue could serve as a test for Gita who is taking part
in the Democratic Party's presidential candidate convention. A leader
will never back down in the face of a problem, Zuhro said.
The ruling Democratic Party (PD) has been organizing a convention since
last September to select its presidential candidate for the July 9,
2014 presidential race. Gita is one of the 11 participants of the
convention.
Gita announced his resignation as trade minister on Friday (Jan.31 and
effective as of February 1, 2014), while Chief Economic Minister Hatta
Rajasa's requested the Trade Ministry and the Agriculture Minister to
investigate the alleged abuse of rice import permits.
The controversies of the importation of the rice arose when it was
found that medium category of rice from Vietnam had flooded the
market. The permits from the Ministry of Trade only allowed the
importation of rice of the premium category.
The Ministry of Trade said it had issued rice import permits based on
recommendations from the Ministry of Agriculture. However, the Ministry
of Agriculture denied having issued a recommendation to import rice.
"We have sent today a letter to the Ministry of Trade asking for
clarifications," Agriculture Minister Suswono said on Wednesday last
week.
He said based on data, the Directorate General of Processing and
Marketing of Agricultural Products (P2HP), which was authorized to issue
recommendations for the importation of rice of special category, has
never issued recommendations for the importation of special type of rice
from Vietnam in 2013.
Minister Suswono said that it was impossible for rice of the special
category to circulate in the market. Therefore, if there was special
rice circulating at the Cipinang Rice Wholesale Market, there must be a
violation. This should be thoroughly investigated to disclose the
violators.
According to the minister, intended as rice of special category is rice
usually consumed by people who suffer from a certain disease such as
diabetes or rice imported under a request of certain restaurants.
"The special rice can be imported to meet the demand of (certain consumers) and restaurants," Suswono said.
The importation of the 6,900 tons of rice was carried out by 58
registered importers who received Letters of Order for importation of
rice (SPI) from the Ministry of Trade.
The imported rice from Vietnam is considered illegal because its
quality is medium. Rice which is allowed to be imported only that with
premium quality. Medium quality of rice may only be imported by
state-owned logistics agency Bulog.
Gita Wirjawan said last week that his ministry issued import permits
for the importation of special rice based on recommendations from the
Ministry of Agriculture. He said his ministry only followed up the
Ministry of Agriculture's recommendations.
Therefore, Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa ordered the Trade
Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry to investigate the alleged illegal
entry into Indonesia of the Vietnamese rice.
"I have met with Agriculture Minister Suswono and the trade deputy
minister, asking them to investigate the case soon," Hatta Rajasa
said on Thursday.
The minister added that there were
indications of abuse of import permits. Based upon the permits, the
importers were not allowed to import medium category rice.
"There is nothing wrong with the Agriculture Ministry and the Trade
Ministry. The permits have correctly been issued. But the importers who
used the licenses might have abused them," Hatta stated.
"The Ministry of Trade has issued import permits for the importation of
special rice based on the Agriculture Ministry's recommendations. But
in reality, the rice circulating in the market was that of the medium
category, not the premium one. So, we should investigate the importers,"
Hatta said.
Now, the Trade Ministry is conducting an investigation on three rice
importers suspected of having abused their permits by importing medium
category of rice from Vietnam.
"We are investigating and focusing on three importers," Director
General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade Bachrul Chairi stated
on Friday.
He said it would take time to investigate the case, but the three
importers had been identified out of the 165 importers who had been
granted permits to import rice in 2013.
Two of the three
importers were suspected to have abused their trade permits. The other
one had allegedly let its permit be used by other company for importing
the rice.
"Two importers are suspected to have been involved in wrongdoings,
while the third one had allowed his permit to be used by other people.
The report about the importers may be wrong, but we will carry out the
necessary investigations. The quality of the rice will be examined in
laboratories," the director general remarked.
Last year, the Ministry of Trade issued permits for the importation of
16.9 thousand tons of special rice, consisting of 1,845 tons of the
Basmati variety and 14,997 tons of the Japonica variety.
According to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, the rice
imports from Vietnam have been shipped 83 times and involved 58
importers, other than the state-owned logistics agency Bulog.
The
rice was imported via Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta and Belawan
port in North Sumatra. The rice imports were supported by import permits
and surveyor's reports.
However, Director General of Customs and Excise Susiwijono Moegiarso
did not rule out the possibility of the import permits being abused on
the grounds that the permits included written approvals intended to
import special rice.
This is instead of medium category of rice, which can be imported only by state logistics board Bulog.
"This has happened as the HS codes of the two types of rice are the same: 1006.30.99.00.
Under
the Trade Minister's Regulation No.06/M-DAG/PER/2/2012, the import of
medium category of rice, with headings 1006.30.99.00, can be performed
only by Bulog, with approval from the ministry, to stabilize prices,
cope with a state of emergency, provide subsidized rice for the poor, or
address food scarcity issues.***2***
(T.A014/b003/B003)
(T.A014/A/A. Abdussalam/Bustanuddin) 02-02-2014 19:32: |
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