Cirebon fishermen back at sea after fuel price cut<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon, West Java<\/p>\n
Thousands of fishermen in Cirebon, West Java, returned to sea to
\nfish following the government's decision to lower the fuel prices
\nthat had only recently been raised.<\/p>\n
The fishermen had been on strike over the past two weeks in
\nprotest over the government decision to raise fuel prices, power
\nand telephone rates.<\/p>\n
Secretary of the Cirebon chapter of the Association of
\nIndonesian Fishermen (HNSI) Karsudin said that the majority of
\nfishermen in the regency had resumed fishing after the government
\nfinally bowed to increasing protests against the hike in
\nautomotive diesel fuel to Rp 1,890 per liter.<\/p>\n
The price of diesel fuel was later lowered to Rp 1,650 per
\nliter.<\/p>\n
\"The fishermen went to the sea soon after the automotive
\ndiesel fuel was lowered,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Millions of fishermen in other provinces resumed their daily
\nactivities following the government's decision to lower the price
\nof automotive diesel fuel.<\/p>\n
Karsudin said that only a small number of the 2,200 fishermen
\nwho are members of the local HNSI chapter went fishing over the
\npast two weeks while a greater number joined the strike.<\/p>\n
The fishermen docked some 2,000 fishing boats along the
\ncoastal areas of Samadikun, Cangkol, and fishing port Kejawanan,
\nCirebon in protest over the fuel price hike.<\/p>\n
The simultaneous price increases triggered weeks of protests
\ninvolving people from all walks of life. The government then
\nannounced on Monday a reduction in fuel prices and discounts for
\ncertain electricity users in a response to the nationwide
\nprotests.<\/p>\n
Karsudin said that most of the fishermen in Cirebon did not
\nown motorized fishing boats as they were still too poor.<\/p>\n
\"Fishing companies have barred their employees from fishing to
\nprotest the increase in automotive diesel fuel,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nurjaman, 47, a fisherman from Cangkol village, Lemahwungkuk
\ndistrict, Cirebon, said that he and his associates were relieved
\nwith the reduction in the price of diesel fuel.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot afford to go fishing if the fuel price is increased
\nas it increases our overhead,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nurjaman said that he had to spend between Rp 5 million and Rp
\n8 million per month.<\/p>\n
He said that 70 percent of the operational costs was to buy
\ndiesel for the boat and ice for storing the fish while the rest
\nwas for fishermen's needs.<\/p>\n
\"I hope the price of other goods will go down in line with the
\nreduction in fuel prices so that fishermen's income will
\nimprove,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cirebon-fishermen-back-at-sea-after-fuel-price-cut-1447893297",
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