The polemic about the increase in fuel oil (BBM) is happening in the community. The fuel oil price increase is predicted to raise the prices of other commodities. However, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto emphasized that the Government is currently deepening a study on increasing fuel prices.
Airlangga, at the Presidential Palace Complex, Thursday (25/8/2022), told reporters, “It is being deepened. [For the announcement of the increase in fuel prices] we will just have to wait,”
Furthermore, he said that the government was also considering distributing social assistance (Bansos) if the price of fuel (BBM) had to be raised.
“Yes, the social assistance is also being asked by [the President] to be deepened, where does the budget come from? What is the program like?” he said.
Airlangga also admitted that the Government has not yet chosen whether to increase fuel prices or continue subsidies. Meanwhile, according to the current conditions, the decision is still under consideration further consideration.
For information, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has held a limited meeting at the Merdeka Palace, on Wednesday (24/8/2022). Meanwhile, several Ministers of the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet also held a coordination meeting at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Wednesday (24/8) from afternoon to evening.
Previously, Airlangga said that the government was ready to distribute social assistance if subsidized fuel prices had to be raised. He said the social assistance program was prepared to mitigate the negative impact on the community’s economy with the increase in energy prices.
“Yes, of course, we will strengthen the social protection. We already have many systems that have been carried out during the Covid-19 Handling Committee and PEN,” said Airlangga, Wednesday (24/8/2022).
He said that the ministers were still formulating the social assistance, including the scenario of the fuel price policy amid the depletion of the Pertalite fuel quota and the increasing budget burden in the state budget.
“In addition to the impact on public consumption activities, the government is also calculating the impact of the planned increase in fuel prices on industrial activities,” he said.
For your information, the Government is reportedly preparing several schemes related to the change in Pertalite fuel price policy, so that the quota for fuel subsidized by the government can meet the needs of the community until the end of the year according to the 2022 APBN ceiling.
Meanwhile, the subsidy and compensation spending disbursed by the government until August 2022 has reached IDR 502.4 trillion, consisting of energy subsidies of IDR 208.9 trillion and energy compensation of IDR 293.5 trillion.
