Hike and electricity and fuel prices could be delayed
Thursday, March 9 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
The new electricity and fuel prices, which will begin effective in April this year would be tested for one year to see the social impact of the price hike, and if it really hurt the people, the new tariffs would be delayed, according to the chairman of the House of Representatives commission VIII, Iwan Prayitno.
"Please note, if the rise really hurts the people, then we will postpone the new tariff after the one-year test," he told reporters after receiving members of the Forkot student forum, who met him to protest the planned increase in electricity tariffs and fuel prices.
The House and the government have agreed to raise the electricity tariff by an average of 29 percent and the fuel prices by an average of 12 percent in a bid to cut the massive subsidy spending in the April-December budget. Low-income household customers will be exempt from the new electricity tariff. The prices of fuel used for public transportation will not be also raised. (*)