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Lawmakers involved in fierce debate before closed-door hearing on fuel price
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A Pertamina gas station attendant fills a gas tank in Jakarta. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
T
he House of Representatives Commission VII overseeing energy and mineral resources held a hearing Wednesday to question the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s recent flip-flop regarding the price of subsidized Premium-branded gasoline.
Commission VII deputy chairman Ridwan Hisjam, a lawmaker from the Golkar party, who chaired the meeting, initially decided to make it open to the public, but the decision was protested by a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI), Adian Napitupulu.
Adian questioned the urgency of the issue to to be discussed in the meeting. ”I do not disrespect the decision, but why the urgency as the fuel policy was already cancelled. So there is no reason to discuss it actually,” he said.
On Oct. 10, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan announced an increase of 7 percent in the price of Premium as a result of the price increase of global crude oil.
But less than an hour later, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno withdrew Jonan’s statement, saying that her side and state-owned energy company Pertamina had not been informed about the price increase.
Wednesday's meeting was adjourned for about 10 minutes because of fierce arguments among the lawmakers, before finally it was decided that the meeting would be be held behind closed doors.
Kardaya Warnika, a lawmaker of the opposition Gerindra Party, walked out of the meeting, saying a closed-door meeting was against the people’s right to information. “We can’t accept if the reason behind the policy is hidden from the public,” he concluded. (bbn)
