House to summon ministers over price increase

House to summon ministers over price increase

M. Taufiqurrahman and Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives will summon ministers on Wednesday
to explain its unpopular decision to raise fuel prices,
electricity and telephone charges as nationwide protests mount
against the hikes, its speaker said on Friday.

The House had approved the utility increases last year, and
appears now to be backing down following the public protests.

This comes in an apparent move by legislators to court public
support ahead of the 2004 elections.

Analysts have said legislators were trying to shift the blame
by summoning government ministers.

Speaking after a meeting with House faction leaders, House
Speaker Akbar Tandjung said the legislature would summon at least
six ministers to offer an explanation about the much-criticized
decision.

"The House wants a thorough explanation about why the
increases were announced simultaneously and is considering the
possibility of postponing the implementation of the decision," he
told journalists.

Akbar said that among the ministers to be quizzed were
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf
Kalla and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun
Kuntjoro Jakti.

The summons would prove that the House had not turned a deaf
ear to public resentment over the utility charges increase, he
said.

Akbar, however, could not say what the House would do if the
government failed to give a reasonable account.

"The increase in utility rates was approved by the House. But
its implementation is in the hands of the government," he said.

Akbar said that before questioning the ministers on Wednesday,
he would hold a meeting with leaders of several House commissions
one day earlier to prepare the questions.

"The meeting with Commission IV on transportation, Commission
VIII on mining, and Commission IX on finance, as well as the
House committee on state budget is to determine the House's
stance towards the government's decision," he said.

Akbar added that the meeting with the ministers was also aimed
at ensuring that the government was fully accountable for the Rp
4.4 trillion allocated to compensate the poor for the price
hikes.

"The government has yet to give its report on the first
compensation programs worth more than Rp 3 trillion," he said.

In response to the summons, Minister Susilo said that the
recent Cabinet meeting decided that the government was ready to
provide an adequate explanation about the price rises.

Mounting protests starting last week have exerted pressure on
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration to reverse the
increases.

Most people, in particular low-income earners, are complaining
that the increases have increased their suffering amid the
prolonged crisis.