Local businesses strongly criticized the House of Representatives’ decision to approve a rise in electricity prices next year, stating that bureaucrats had decided “to murder local industry”.

Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairman Sofjan Wanandi told The Jakarta Post that the 15 percent increase in power prices next year would have knock-on increases in operating costs for local industry.

“Aside from the electricity price hike, local industries have already been hampered by the government’s recent approval of a 50 percent boost the price of gas for industry and the planned rise in Jakarta’s provincial minimum wage [UMP] next year,” he said Tuesday.

The Apindo chairman was commenting on approval by House Commission VII overseeing energy affairs of the government’s proposal to increase electricity rates, which is expected to cut around Rp ...