Fuel compensation disbursement begins as protests continue

Fuel compensation disbursement begins as protests continue

The Jakarta Post
Bandung/Jambi/Ambon/Kupang/Batam/Yogyakarta/Surakarta

Thousands of public transportation drivers nationwide went on
strike on Saturday as top government officials were deployed
across the country to oversee the disbursement of fuel
compensation funds.

The strike, is response to the steep fuel price increases
announced by the government on Friday night, has left many
passengers in limbo with hundreds of thousands of workers in
Batam, Riau Islands province force to walk many kilometers to
their work places. Due to the absence of public transportation,
many farmers in Cirebon, West Java could not transport their
agricultural produce to markets while thousands of school
students were left stranded. In order to cushion the impact of
the strikes, the government and local military commands swiftly
employed trucks and buses to carry the passengers to their
respective destinations.

While the strike had been widespread, Minister of
Transportation Hatta Radjasa urged regional governments to
increase official transportation fares quickly to adjust to the
new price of fuel. The measure is expected to end the strike that
has crippled economic and social activity in the regions.

As of Saturday, student protests against the fuel price hike
were still taking place in several places across the archipelago
although it was clear that they were losing steam. Though small
in number, student protesters had become increasingly violent. In
Pontianak, West Kalimantan, dozens of students hurled eggs into
West Kalimantan Governor's residence as they expressed their
anger at the government's decision to increased fuel prices by an
average 126.6 percent.

In contrast to the lively student protests, many gas stations
across the nation were deserted with only a few motorists buying
fuel. The situation was in contrast to the situation on Friday
night when thousands of motorists nationwide packed gas stations
to fill their tanks before the price of fuel shot up.

While long queues at gas stations are no longer seen, people
were instead seen forming lines in many post offices across the
archipelago. In Surabaya, thousands of poor people in Surabaya
formed long queues starting from 7 a.m to obtain fuel
compensation cards issued by the government. Every poor family
will receive Rp 300,000 (US$30) each quarter until next year.

The fuel compensation disbursement on Saturday nationwide was
overseen by top government officials, including President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Susilo and
Kalla inspected disbursements of fuel compensation funds in South
Bogor and the Cilincing area in North Jakarta while other Cabinet
ministers flew to other cities across the archipelago to ensure
the disbursement went smoothly. The disbursement was aimed at
cushioning the impact of fuel price hikes on the poor.

The residents praised the disbursement process for being easy,
quick and simple. Rosmidah, a resident in Kalideres subdistrict,
West Jakarta said she only needed to show her fuel compensation
card before she obtained the money. Despite the smooth
distribution of money, mistakes occurred in Yogyakarta where many
people had mistakenly read the disbursement schedules. As a
result, many had to go home empty handed.

The disbursement of fuel compensation funds was held in 15
major cities across the country, while for the remaining cities
and regencies nationwide funds will disbursed on Oct. 5 and 11.

In a separate development, Megawati Soekarnoputri, the
chairwoman of former ruling party the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) reiterated her opposition to the
fuel price increases, saying it was a burden on the people. The
party's secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo said at a party
function in Surakarta, Central Java, that the party would
continue to fight in the parliament until the fuel price increase
decision was rescinded.