Hike in various tariffs<\/p>\n
From Media Indonesia<\/p>\n
The Media Indonesia edition of Jan. 2, 2001 published a story
\ntitled The government will soon increase fuel prices\". Every year
\nordinary people are burdened with the fear of a fresh fuel price
\nrise. Moreover, the tariffs on fuel, electricity and telephone
\nwill go up in 2002. Of course, people at the grass-roots level
\nwill suffer more.<\/p>\n
I am really amazed by the oil and gas director general's
\nacknowledgment that some 70 percent to 80 percent of the fuel
\nsubsidies have been channeled to the wrong targets. I, for an
\nexample, am one of those enjoying these subsidies from the state-
\nowned oil company (Pertamina) every day.<\/p>\n
If the director general has learned that about 70 percent to
\n80 percent of fuel subsidies have gone to the wrong people, why
\nshould the fuel price be continually increased with the age-old
\nreason of reducing the burden on the state budget?<\/p>\n
If this acknowledgement is right, the country's cabinet of
\nreform has lost between Rp 56 trillion and Rp 64 trillion while
\nin the year of 2002 it will, again, suffer further losses of
\nbetween Rp 28.7 trillion and Rp 32.8 trillion.<\/p>\n
While this director general is currently holding the power, he
\ncan make the following efforts to make sure that the fuel
\nsubsidies should no longer reach the wrong targets:
\n1. Fuel subsidies should be given only to public transportation
\nvehicles, ordinary people and small-scale entrepreneurs.
\n2. Market prices should be imposed on private vehicles. It can be
\nhigher, if necessary, to ensure that the cross subsidy of fuel
\nwill be achieved so that it won't be a burden to the state
\nbudget.
\n3. Organization of Land Transportation Owners and the Indonesian
\nNational Shipowners Association can be invited to discuss the
\nrealization of the fuel subsidies for public land and sea
\ntransport.
\n4. If fuel subsidies are channeled only to public transportation
\nvehicles, God willing, the price of goods will not spiral,
\ntherefore allowing the ordinary people to breathe a sigh of
\nrelief.<\/p>\n
M. BACHTIAR<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hike-in-various-tariffs-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }