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SBY refuses Jokowi's request to raise fuel prices
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has refused president-elect Joko âJokowiâ Widodoâs request to increase fuel prices before his second term of office ends
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P
resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has refused president-elect Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's request to increase fuel prices before his second term of office ends.
'Frankly, I specifically asked Pak SBY to reduce the state budget [APBN] deficit by increasing the fuel prices,' said Jokowi, as quoted by kompas.com at City Hall on Thursday.
'The answer was that, in his opinion, the current condition was not appropriate for raising fuel prices,' he said.
Jokowi said he regretted Yudhoyono's measures as he thought that the energy subsidies, as well as subsidies provided to pay foreign debts, had placed a heavy burden on the 2015 APBN.
The budgetary allocation for energy subsidies in the country's state budget plan (RAPBN) for the 2015 fiscal year has reached Rp 433.5 trillion (US$37.05 million).
Meanwhile, subsidies allocated for foreign debt payments amounted to Rp 154 trillion. 'It is a really heavy burden,' said Jokowi.
He said the fuel price hike would take place after he officially took office as president on Oct. 20. He refused to indicate in what month the fuel price hike would likely take place. (put/ebf)
