Event:

President Yudhoyono met with House of Representatives leaders at his office in Jakarta on Monday, to discuss the government's planned increase in subsidized fuel prices and related compensation programs. "This meeting is not aimed at reaching an agreement. There will be a formal mechanism for that in accordance with the law. Through this meeting, together we will focus on the actual issues in the economic sector so we can discuss what the government and the House can do to address them," Yudhoyono said upon opening the meeting which then continued behind closed doors.

After the meeting, Priyo told journalists that Yudhoyono had presented the reasons behind the government's plan to raise the prices of subsidized fuels. "The state budget allocated to subsidize fuels is ballooning and is threatening the health of our economy," the seasoned lawmaker told journalists. Priyo said that the government had attempted to convince the House's leadership about the importance of four compensation programs for the poor, who would be severely impacted by the fuel price hike, like temporary direct cash assistance (BLSM) which many believe would be modeled on 2009's controversial direct cash assistance (BLT). Politicians, from both the government coalition and the opposition, have voiced rejection of the BLSM program, saying it is not a sustainable solution and would be prone to politicization ahead of the 2014 elections; suggested that the government should transfer most of the funds released by the reduced fuel subsidy to the construction of infrastructure and basic facilities such as in education and health. (Jakarta Post, 13^th of May)

Comment:

The fuel price hike will absolutely impact people's life.  There will be more number of poor people in Indonesia. But the government has programmed it as suggested by IMF (International Monetary Fund) shows that the Indonesia government has no authority to have its own decision even it involved majority's condition. Moreover this year it will be realized at the same time as the school entrance for children, and also closely to Ramadan fasting. Everybody knows that the two moments need extra-expenses for each family. So, this price hike will severely affect each family! It is a cruel decision!

On the other hand, people can see that in some cases involved the corporate owner, the government is too ‘generous' to give subsidy for them. It's not fair!  This is actually the nature of capitalist government. It stands in the side of corporation and conglomerates in various ways in order to avoid business bankruptcy instead of giving the rights of people to have its own resources as oil. The government always tries to reduce or even withdraw the subsidy for many people, one of them by raising fuel prices. People can not afford living under this cruel system anymore. It's time to change the regime and change the system so that people living in a prosperous and blessed shade and the Islamic caliphate.

Iffah Ainur Rochmah

Spokeswoman of Muslimah Hizb ut Tahrir Indonesia