Buwas Admits He Has Never Rejected Social Assistance Distribution – 2024-04-06 16:33:10

National Scout Quarter meets President Jokowi (Medcom / Kautsar Widya Prabowo)

KOMJEN Pol (Ret.) Budi Waseso or Buwas denied his removal as Head of Bulog because he refused to distribute social assistance (bansos). The issue of this removal was circulating in the 2024 presidential election dispute trial at the Constitutional Court (MK).

“I have never rejected social assistance, in fact social assistance is the President’s (Jokowi) program,” said Buwas at the State Palace, Central Jakarta, Friday (5/4).

Buwas emphasized that the rice in Bulog belongs to the government. So Bulog cannot refuse if there are instructions from the government.

“So if the government or this country wants to use Bulog’s rice, my only job is to distribute it,” he explained.

Regarding his removal by BUMN Minister Erick Thohir, Buwas emphasized that this was normal. Because his term of office has reached five years.

“It’s a mandate that when the time is over, if anyone’s leadership says replace it, replace it, there’s no problem,” he explained.

Also read: Ahead of Ramadhan, Bulog secures rice stocks in the Greater Bandung and Sumedang areas

Previously, member of the Constitutional Court (MK) Judge Arief Hidayat asked regarding the replacement of the Head of Bulog, Budi Waseso. This was asked during the dispute hearing on the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Arief questioned the matter of Budi Waseso’s replacement to Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto and Indonesian Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani.

“We know the institutions, there is the minister of social affairs, then there is a connection with the head of the national food agency, then there is the head of Bulog, at critical moments, I read in the media, the head of Bulog Budi Waseso was replaced, what factors were behind it? I want to ask, ” said Arief in the courtroom, Friday 5 April 2024. (Z-8)