Other Countries Raise Fuel Prices, Jokowi: We Only Increase 10 Percent, Can Demo For Three Months

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) alluded to the increase in world crude oil prices which rose to 118 US dollars per barrel. As a result, the price of fuel oil (BBM) in countries that do not provide subsidies has doubled or 100 percent.

However, Indonesia still maintains the price for subsidized fuel. This means that the price of fuel is not corrected even though the world crude oil price is soaring.

"Countries that don't subsidize their fuel prices will immediately double. Imagine if we only increased 10 percent in three months. This doubled, meaning a 100 percent increase", he said in a briefing on the proud affirmation action made in Indonesia broadcast on the YouTube channel. Presidential Secretariat, Friday, March 25.

For your information, Indonesia as an importer of world crude oil every year must subsidize the selling price to the public. Throughout 2021, energy subsidies will reach IDR 131.5 trillion. Soared from 2020 which amounted to IDR 110.5 trillion.

Meanwhile, this year, energy subsidies in the first month have penetrated IDR 10.2 trillion or jumped 347.2 percent from January 2021.

Furthermore, Jokowi also mentioned the price of other necessities which also increased, such as gas and food. This happened because of energy scarcity which was exacerbated by the Russo-Ukrainian war.

"Gas goes up, food prices go up, including soybean prices, for example, wheat prices, for example, because the world's wheat suppliers are Ukraine, Russia, Belarus. Everyone is running away, energy shortages, food shortages, scarcity of containers", he said.

As is known, Russia is indeed one of the countries with the largest crude oil exports in the world, or crude oil exports from Russia are recorded at around five to seven million barrels or 12 percent of exports to the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, Indonesia relies on imports of wheat from Ukraine about 26.8 percent. Meanwhile, the largest wheat exporting country to Indonesia is Australia.