Indonesia's government sees no need to issue further permits to import rice into Southeast Asia's largest economy this year, since state procurement agency Bulog's stocks of the staple grain are expected to be at 1.8 million tonnes by end-2011, chief economics minister Hatta Rajasa said on Tuesday.
Rajasa was speaking after a meeting of ministers with Bulog, whose CEO said the agency had used its full 2011 permits to import 1.9 million tonnes of rice, including 300,000 tonnes from Thailand agreed under a previous deal.Recent floods in Thailand hampered its shipments and led Indonesia to look at alternative suppliers such as India.