Democrat Party Secretary General Opposed to Fuel Price Hike

Jakarta (Antara) - Secretary General of the Democrat Party Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono has rejected the government's plan to raise subsidized fuel prices, arguing the global oil prices are showing a downward trend. "The global oil price is currently US$84 a barrel and even lower than US$80 a barrel. The government of then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono cut oil subsidy because the global oil price hovered above US$100 a barrel," he said at the House of Representatives (DPR) building here on Thursday. Now that the global oil prices are stable the plan to slash fuel subsidy is a question mark, he said. Edhie Baskoro noted that the Indonesian economy has tended to slow down in the wake of general elections and cabinet announcement. "There is no urgency to raise the prices of subsidized fuels," he said. He also asked the government to clarify the reason behind its plan to cut the fuel subsidy. The government should not issue a policy which makes life more difficult because it is related to other sectors. "I don't want to see a subsidized fuel price hike without taking into account other possibilities. Therefore, the fuel price hike should be accompanied by programs which immediately touch the people's interests," he said. (*)