Bulog’s Expansion: The Return of the Command Economy in Food?

​JAKARTA — Indonesia is retreating to a more interventionist food security playbook. Perum Bulog, the state’s logistics agency, is expanding its administrative remit from mere rice management to the comprehensive control of all nine essential commodities (Sembako). The announcement by CEO Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani marks a decisive pivot toward a state-led distribution model designed to insulate the archipelago’s 280 million citizens from global price shocks.

​For decades, Bulog’s influence had been diluted by market liberalization. However, by reclaiming control over cooking oil, sugar, and proteins, Jakarta is seeking to de-risk its social stability. In the eyes of the government, the middleman’s margin is a luxury the national inflation target can no longer afford.