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Your letters: First things first, Mr. President
Tense: Hundreds of students demonstrate in front of the State Palace on May 21, to commemorate National Awakening Day
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span class="inline inline-center">Tense: Hundreds of students demonstrate in front of the State Palace on May 21, to commemorate National Awakening Day. They called on the government to pay serious attention to the poorest people affected most by the government's policies, including the fuel subsidy cut. Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay
This refers to an article titled 'I work for the good of all, says Jokowi,' (The Jakarta Post Online, May 17).
President Joko'Jokowi'widodo, remember that you are not running in a popularity contest. You are leading a country of 250 million people. Their lives depend on the policies you enact' not those that show how good the apples will taste in 10 years' time?
You cited two examples e.g. the fuel subsidy and the cost of rice. I reiterate as follows:
The lifting of the fuel subsidy was timely because of falling world oil prices, but on the flip side, the country's sales of crude oil and gas fetched lowered prices, triggering losses. Could you tell us, then, what was the net gain, because in between, inflation came in a big way, causing price-rises in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), income tax rates, land taxes, even petrol prices and other miscellaneous items ' not forgetting that the subsidy was scrapped while past Presidents had to maintain it strenuously?
During Soeharto's presidency, the price of rice was very well controlled throughout the country, whereby he allowed imports to 'kill off' the exorbitant price of locally grown rice to discourage profiteering, while the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) acted in tandem with stringent supplies against market prices. Under your ministry, Bulog triggered a 'cock-up' ' and a shortage of rice ensued, which caused a sudden rise in prices countrywide.
Today, the price of rice has increased, despite the assistance extended to local farmers with cash and mini-utility tractors. Is there any logic as to why rice imports can't take place until local farmers prove their productivity levels? Will you ensure that locally grown rice is cheaper than imported rice in due time?
Sir, amid all the problems, troubles and misunderstandings between the National Police, the KPK (Corruption Eradication Commission) and the AGO (Attorney General's Office), people seem to be of the opinion that you have done nothing substantive to solve all their sticky problems. As a matter of fact, you have ordered the police to stop incriminating KPK officials as many as five times already. Will there be a sixth time? The people want you to act now. The more quiet and reticent you are the more you will aggravate the people and make yourself unpopular.
The people want the President to lead the country on a day-to-day basis and not earmark or arrange for things to come to fruition in the future
Luwanto
Jakarta
