Megawati rejects fuel price hike

Megawati Soekarnoputri (Antara/Yudhi Mahatma)Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP-P) chairman Megawati Soekarnoputri said on Thursday that the party rejected the government’s plan to raise subsidized fuel prices.

 “This is not about saving the state budget [with adjustments of the prices], but about how the government gets additional funds in a smart way to avoid a budget deficit while setting fuel prices so people can still afford them,” Megawati said in Yogyakarta.

 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that adjustments to the prices of subsidized fuels were “inevitable and essential for protecting the economy amid growing oil prices”.

 Megawati stressed that her party’s rejection was not for effect, nor was it intended to set the party’s image. (swd)