PDI-P to oppose fuel, electricity rate hikes

PDI-P to oppose fuel, electricity rate hikes

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) said on Wednesday it would oppose plans to raise fuel
prices and electricity tariffs while allegations of corruption in
the two sectors went uninvestigated.

Legislator Postdam Hutasoit said it was unfair to further
raise prices while no one was being legally held accountable for
financial leakages in the mining and energy sectors, especially
in state-owned companies Pertamina and PLN.

"Our faction (at the House of Representatives) has decided to
oppose the planned hike in the fuel prices and electricity tariff
because it will overburden the people," he said after the
faction's closed-door meeting here on Wednesday.

The government recently revealed plans to end fuel and
electricity subsidies in April in an endeavor to cut down on
spending.

House Speaker and Golkar Party chief Akbar Tandjung also said
his faction would oppose the planned hike as the current economic
condition was not conducive for such a policy.

Postdam said his faction had already received numerous
protests against the planned hike.

"How dare the government plan such a hike amidst the crises?
Most people will certainly express their objections to the
planned hike because they won't pay higher fuel prices and
electricity expenses while there are such leakages," he asserted.

He charged that Pertamina suffered hundreds of millions of
U.S. dollars in financial loses from leakages and markedup
projects in the past, but no official has been brought to court.

"The people and our faction will not raise objections to the
government's plan if corruption cases in the two state-owned
companies are investigated thoroughly," he said, while lamenting
that an all-out battle against corruption and collusion has yet
to start.

"So far, corruption and collusion cases involving former
president Soeharto's children and his cronies in the two sectors
are still untouchable," he said.

House Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, from the PDI
Perjuangan faction, also said the faction would stress the need
on getting to the bottom of various high-profile corruption cases
such as the Bank Bali and Texmaco scandal.

"The House's special committee on Bank Bali is formulating
recommendations for the government," he said.

In a separate development, Postdam, who is also a member of
the People's Consultative Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee
deliberating draft decrees, said PDI Perjuangan will prioritize
to fellow Assembly members the need for an Assembly decree on
national reconciliation to minimize the threat of disintegration.

"Our faction has proposed a draft decree on national
reconciliation to be endorsed in the Assembly's General Session
in August.

"National reconciliation is urgently needed to end conflicts
linked to race, religion and societal groupings," he said.

He said the draft decree, which contains a recognition of
races, religions and cultures, was aimed at creating peaceful
conditions, a sense of tolerance among the people and at fighting
discrimination. (rms)