President Prabowo Firm: Subsidised Fuel Prioritised for the Poor

President Prabowo Subianto has firmly conveyed that subsidised fuel must be precisely targeted. “For subsidised fuel, we will maintain it for the poor and low-income people. We will maintain it for 80% of our people,” Prabowo stated, as quoted from Kompas.com on Wednesday (8/4/2026). For those who can afford it, they are expected to use non-subsidised fuel and follow global oil market prices. Global geopolitical conditions require the government to carefully manage oil supplies. Prabowo has implemented a policy for the next 12 months to control fuel consumption and ensure it is used efficiently. After this critical 12-month period, he is confident that Indonesia will be stronger in facing global dynamics, with the country assured to withstand future challenges. “After 12 months, we will become very strong. We will explain the steps later, but the main point now is that we are ready and strong to face this year,” Prabowo said. According to Bloomberg, Brent crude has risen to around $97 US (approximately Rp 1,654,281) per barrel after previously plummeting by up to 13% in Wednesday’s trading. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil prices are also trading near the $97 US per barrel level. According to Iran’s Fars news agency, Israel’s attack on Lebanon on Wednesday night (8/4/2026) has caused the Strait of Hormuz to be closed again, although US Vice President JD Vance has denied this and stated that the narrow waterway will remain open. The Iran war situation is predicted to be far from resolved, or more accurately, full of uncertainty, where the average global oil price will not stray far from $90 US per barrel.