Kalla defends fuel price increase<\/p>\n
INDONESIA: Vice President Jusuf Kalla has defended the
\ngovernment's unpopular fuel increase in front of thousands of
\nGolkar Party members, saying the government could no longer
\nmaintain the costly fuel subsidy for rich car owners.<\/p>\n
Kalla, who is also the Golkar leader, acknowledged that the
\nfuel price increase was difficult for many people, but it was
\nunavoidable to help create a healthy fiscal condition and end the
\ninjustice whereby the rich benefited more from the subsidy.<\/p>\n
"(We're) very sorry that for a better future, people have to
\nundergo a bitter experience now. But a sick person will not
\nrecover without taking the bitter pill," he said in Palembang,
\nSouth Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Kalla was on a two-day visit to Sumatra to open a series of
\nGolkar Party regional meetings ahead of the country's first
\ndirect regional elections in June.<\/p>\n
A number of political parties and groups of students have
\ndemanded the government cancel the fuel price increase. The House
\nof Representatives is scheduled to hold a plenary session to
\nrespond to the fuel policy on Monday. -- JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kalla-defends-fuel-price-increase-1447893297",
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