YLKI blasts gas price hike

YLKI blasts gas price hike

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) says Pertamina, the state-owned oil company, is responsible for the recent price increase in LPG gas in Jakarta and its surrounding areas.

Zoemrotin K. Soesilo, YLKI's chairwoman, said in a release that stern action should be taken against Pertamina and its dealers who have arbitrarily increased the price of LPG gas by 33 percent since Tuesday.

The price of a 12-kilogram tube of gas is now Rp 12,000, or Rp 3,000 higher than the old price, while a 50-kg tube of gas now costs Rp 50,000. The old price was Rp 37,500.

However, a retailer in Bintaro, South Jakarta, said the new prices are official. "There was an announcement on television Monday evening," he claimed.

Zoemrotin said that because no government decree was issued for the increase, Pertamina must take responsibility for the illegal prices or return the prices to previous levels until an official increase is announced.

The release added that a price increase from Rp 750 per liter to Rp 1,000 per is illogical because Pertamina was already profiting at the old price levels.(03)