House obstructs fuel policy<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland and Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono saying that the fuel
\nprice increases were final, seven of 10 factions at the House of
\nRepresentatives continue to convey their rejection of the
\ngovernment's policy.<\/p>\n
Only two factions -- Susilo's own Democrat Party faction and
\nthe Democratic Pioneer Star faction -- support the government's
\nmove in increasing fuel prices by an average 29 percent on March
\n1.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's plenary session -- delayed for six hours its 9 a.m.
\ninitial schedule, the result of a lengthy meeting between the
\nHouse and the government the night before -- also saw the House's
\nbiggest faction, the Golkar Party, refusing to take a clear
\nposition.<\/p>\n
The faction simply said \"the government should discuss fuel
\nprice increases further, and its welfare fund with the budgetary
\ncommission\".<\/p>\n
The seven opposing factions said the government had been
\n\"careless\" in not anticipating negative impacts of the fuel price
\nincreases upon the public, and for not consulting with the House.<\/p>\n
They also said the government's mission in slashing the
\nnumbers of poor by allocating more funds to welfare programs was
\nimproper, as it only increased poverty.<\/p>\n
These factions also attacked the government for not consulting
\nwith related House commissions in relation to the welfare funds,
\nclaiming that the policy requires revisions to the state budget.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the two parties accepting the government's policy
\nsaid they \"understood the need for the fuel price increases due
\nto soaring global oil prices\". However, they demanded that the
\ngovernment ensure that poverty alleviation funds reach their
\nintended targets, and that they devise energy saving strategies
\nto deal with declining domestic oil output.<\/p>\n
They also demanded that the government tightly control prices
\nof basic commodities that may increase due to higher fuel prices.<\/p>\n
The plenary session was colored with protests by university
\nstudents, both inside and outside the House compound, causing
\ntraffic congestion along Jl. Gatot Subroto. The students demanded
\nto be allowed to enter the plenary chamber, but were prevented
\nfrom doing so by security personnel.<\/p>\n
Protest orations were later made at the entrance of the
\nNusantara II building.<\/p>\n
Strong opposition -- though small in scale and sporadic --
\ncontinues to take place across the country after the government
\nincreased fuel prices.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Tuesday, five legislators from the National Mandate
\nParty (PAN) faction submitted a request to the Constitutional
\nCourt for a judicial review of Presidential Regulation No.
\n22\/2005 that ordered the fuel price rises.<\/p>\n
They believe that the government's reasons for raising fuel
\nprices were \"unsubstantiated\", and that the regulation violated
\nlaws governing the state budget and state finance.<\/p>\n
If granted, they said the government would be required to
\nrescind the fuel price increases and return any profits it had
\nmade since the policy took effect on March 1 to state coffers.<\/p>\n
On Monday night, three commissions -- Commission VII on energy
\nand mineral resources, Commission XI on finance and banking, and
\nthe budgetary commission -- expressed their opposition to the
\npolicy.<\/p>\n
They claimed that the government could not guarantee that the
\nmuch-vaunted welfare programs aimed at the poor would be
\nsuccessful.<\/p>\n
They also demanded that the government make more efforts to
\ncut back fuel consumption and to seek alternate fuels, curb fuel
\nsmuggling, and submit audit results on state oil and gas company
\nPertamina's production and distribution costs.<\/p>\n
Last week, 31 legislators from seven factions submitted a
\npetition for a House inquiry into the fuel price rises. The
\nrequest is still being deliberated.<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 6<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-obstructs-fuel-policy-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }