Neoliberalism outcry reaches Mataram

MATARAM: Dozens of university students staged a protest Wednesday in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, in front of the governor's office to denounce government policies they said had adopted neoliberal economic ideology.

They said the practices of such an ideology had been adopted in the government's policy to stop subsidizing kerosene this year, which local residents commonly use to run tobacco-drying kilns.

The policy caused "price increases and scarcity of kerosene" in the country, they added.

The price of kerosene has gone up by 60 percent, from Rp 2,800 (27 US cents) a liter (the maximum price set by the provincial administration) to between Rp 4,000 and Rp 4,500 a liter.

"That policy will eventually affect all people," said protest coordinator Didi Wahyudin.

The students said households would also to suffer, with kerosene for households set to be sold to tobacco farmers in East Lombok due to high demand coupled with diminishing supplies. - JP