Energy Subsidy Will Not Apply, Bahlil Says Data Is Still Overlapping

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia revealed that the energy and electricity fuel subsidy scheme will not take effect in the near future.

Bahlil said, it was still necessary to improve the data on prospective subsidy recipients submitted by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

"BPS has provided (receipt data) to me but we are still improving," said Bahlil, quoted on Friday, January 17.

Bahlil added that the data submitted by BPS was not solid, so it needed some improvement. He emphasized that the government avoided the inaccuracy of the BLT distribution targets so that data improvement was needed first.

"I don't want it, because the purpose of the subsidy is given to those who are entitled to receive it. Do not let that goal not match what we are doing," continued Bahlil.

For this reason, Bahlil ensured that the announcement of the fuel distribution scheme would not be carried out in the near future because there were still data improvements.

Previously, Bahlil said that the fuel distribution scheme would not be much different from what had been conveyed previously, namely the blending option, where subsidies were given to goods and others in the form of Direct Cash Assistance (BLT). This scheme, he added, is to stimulate people's purchasing power and ensure subsidies are right on target.

Bahlil ensured that the subsidy would be given to the right community. Currently, the data on subsidy recipients has been studied, so that the data used will be uniform.

"So far, we know, like a few days ago I said, that this subsidy is suspected to be partly not on target. Those who are entitled to receive subsidies are our brothers and sisters who really, I'm sorry, the economy is middle to lower. And now, after we are excited by BPS, our data is now one data. The first thing we make sure is one data," he said.