DPR calls for delay of fuel price hike<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (Antara): House commission VIII for mines and energy
\ncalled for a postponement of the fuel price hike, scheduled to go
\ninto effect on April 1, 2000, as the government appeared to be
\nlacking in readiness.<\/p>\n
\"The decision is taken as the government still has no
\nmechanism to control the increasing prices of goods as the result
\nof the fuel price hike,\" the commission's chairman, Irwan
\nPrayitno of the Reform Faction told the press at Parliament
\nBuilding in Jakarta Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Irwan also said that the government appeared to lack
\npreparedness in providing fuel subsidies for fear of inefficient
\ndistribution and leaks in the channeling of funds.<\/p>\n
\"The hesitation and unpreparedness are reflected in the switch
\nfrom the coupon system to cash aid,\" Irwan added.<\/p>\n
Also of primary importance, he said, is that the postponement
\nmust be carried out if the government was still unable to
\nsocialize its plans to the public and industries calling on them
\nnot to raise the price of their products to unreasonable levels.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he said, the government must at least by mid-April
\n2000 be able to overcome all these weaknesses, otherwise DPR
\nwould have the right to review its decisions or even annul them.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Priyo Budi Santoso of the Golkar Party
\nfaction suggested that the planned fuel price hike be taken over
\nby President Abdurrahman Wahid and announce a postponement.<\/p>\n
\"The people now still suffering from the current protracted
\ncrisis will be very thankful if Gus Dur himself announced the
\npostponement, because the psychological impact of the fuel price
\nincrease will be disastrous,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the commission's deputy chairman Tubagus Haryono
\nsaid actually the fuel subsidy should not amount to Rp 22.4
\ntrillion, if the basic costs are calculated more realistically
\nand not based on the U.S. dollar.<\/p>\n
\"This is merely a window dressing to leave an impression that
\nthe state income from oil would be so large, whereas if the cost
\nof the supply which amounts to 80 percent of crude oil, to 60
\npercent of which the people is entitled, is calculated not based
\non the U.S. currency, the maximum would be only Rp 3 trillion,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dpr-calls-for-delay-of-fuel-price-hike-1447893297",
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