Children take a hike after price increase<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has allocated a total of Rp 17.8 trillion (US$1.8
\nbillion) to lessen the impact of the recent fuel price hike on
\nthe city's poor.<\/p>\n
However, the fuel price hike has also affected people in the
\nlow-income bracket, who are not classified as poor.<\/p>\n
Endang Lesmana, 49, a security officer living in a five meter
\nby four meter house in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, with his
\nwife, three children and daughter-in-law said on Tuesday the fuel
\nprice increase had come as a great blow to his household.<\/p>\n
\"Even before the fuel price hike, my monthly income was barely
\nenough,\" said Endang, who works for a private company on Jl.
\nMatraman Raya, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Endang receives a monthly salary of Rp 700,000 but makes an
\nadditional Rp 200,000 a month doing casual jobs.<\/p>\n
He said the fuel price hike meant his family would have to do
\nwithout some things as transportation fares and staple food
\nprices had increased, while his salary had remained the same.<\/p>\n
According to him, before the transportation fare increase, he
\nspent around Rp 5,000 on transportation to reach his office, but
\nnow spends around 6,500 per day.<\/p>\n
He said his wife had complained that retailers had already
\nincreased prices. \"I just told her to spend what she has wisely
\nas I cannot increase our budget for food,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The government raised fuel prices by an average of 29 percent
\non Mar. 1, but plans to finance a number of programs,
\nparticularly free education, health care and subsidized rice for
\nthe poor.<\/p>\n
Students, politicians and non-governmental organizations have
\nbeen among those opposed to the government's decision.<\/p>\n
Endang said that both his children have to walk
\none-and-a-half kilometers to school as he cannot afford to
\nprovide them with bus money.<\/p>\n
He said that while the fuel price hike had made things harder
\nfor him he did not expect to be eligible for any welfare
\nbenefits.<\/p>\n
\"I know that there are still many people whose situation is
\nworse than mine. There are many jobless people who need help.
\nMeanwhile, I have a permanent income although I must spend it
\ncarefully,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said Suparti, 40, his wife, sold nasi uduk (rice cooked in
\ncoconut milk) at their house from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. to earn extra
\nmoney.<\/p>\n
\"But I cannot rely on that money as she only gets about 10
\ncustomers per day,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In middle age, Endang, who dropped out of junior high school,
\nhas two main ambitions.<\/p>\n
First, he wants his children to finish senior high school, and
\nsecond, he wants to own a house.<\/p>\n
However, Endang confesses that he has no money saved, and that
\ndream seems a long way off.<\/p>",
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