Regarding The Pertalite Price Increase, Jokowi Makes Sure Everything Is Calculated Before Deciding

Photo: BPMI Setpres/Laily RE

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has confirmed that the plan to increase the price of subsidized Pertalite fuel oil (BBM) will be calculated in detail. Moreover, this increase can have an impact on many things.

"This concerns the lives of many people. So everything must be decided carefully, the impact is calculated," Jokowi told reporters as shown on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Tuesday, August 22.

Jokowi ensures that this calculation will be carried out in order to prevent various negative impacts from the increase in subsidized fuel prices. "The impact is calculated not to reduce the people's purchasing power, reduce household consumption," he said.

"Then what must be calculated is also to increase high inflation and then reduce economic growth. I have ordered everything to be calculated before it is decided," continued the former Governor of DKI Jakarta.

Previously, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said that the decision regarding the price increase was still being worked out and not final.

"This is being considered. So it is still under discussion, still under discussion, whether it will be raised or not," said the Vice President, quoted from Antara, Saturday, August 20.

He said that currently the burden of state subsidies on fuel prices is very large, more than Rp. 500 trillion, so if there is an increase in fuel prices, it is in an effort to ensure that subsidies can continue.

"How can this go well. So our APBN can support it, but also not then we are unable to provide subsidies, and this has been set for 2023," he explained.

The signal for the increase in subsidized fuel was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. According to him, President Jokowi has indicated that the government cannot continue to maintain diesel and pertalite prices at current prices.