JAKARTADAILY.ID - The Indonesian public was shocked when news surfaced regarding the discovery of 555,000 liters or apporoximately 550 tonnes of MinyaKita cooking oil being stored in a warehouse owned by PT Bina Karya Prima (BKP) in Marunda, North Jakarta.
The cooking oil that was allegedly being "hoarded" was discovered during a surprise inspection by Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan along with other ministry officials on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.
Zulkifli's party reportedly found that the MinyaKita brand of cooking oil, produced in partnership with the Directorate General of Domestic Trade and the Ministry of Trade, are all packaged and ready to be distributed.
"They said (the cooking oil) was produced in December. We will be assigning a taskforce soon. But (these products) are needed by the markets in Java. I think this can be done in three days," said the Minister.
PT Bina Karya Prima is a company owned by a businessman named Bachrum Karim.
He is the brother of Bachtiar Karim, a tycoon born on November 5, 1957, who heads the Musim Mas Group.
Indeed, Bachrum was not involved in the management of the Musim Mas Group like some of his brothers --Bachtiar, Burhan Karim and Bahari Karim-- who were the successors of a businessman named Anwar Karim.
Bachrum Karim prefers to manage PT Bina Karya Prima.
Although the name of this company, in the ears of ordinary people, is not as well-known as other palm oil players, according to information from the Indonesian Vegetable Oil Association (GIMNI), PT BKP is one of the five rulers of the cooking oil market in Indonesia.
Products from PT Bina Karya Prima dominate the national market share of over 10 percent. This company has products that are quite popular in Indonesia, including Tropical, Shinzu'i soap, Zen antibacterial soap, and forVita margarine.
However, as soon as the name PT Bina Karya emerged in connection with the alleged hoarding of OilKita, oil that should have been intended for the poor, the name Bachtiar Karim was also sought after by the public.
The eldest of four children of Anwar Karim, who joined his father's business since 1981, turns out to be ranked 11th on the Forbes magazine list of the richest people in Indonesia in 2022.
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