However, the coordinating minister for economic affairs has yet to decide when the price adjustment will be made, as the government is still holding several important agendas of the IMF-World Bank meeting in Bali.
"Please wait, it will be in the near future," Nasution stated after the signing event of investment and financing of infrastructure projects by 14 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) here on Thursday.
Nasution was still reluctant to reveal the final outlook of the government regarding the premium gasoline price adjustment. He said it would be better for the government to explain it after a decision was made at the coordination meeting.
"We have to complete the agenda (IMF-WB meeting) here first. Our schedules here are full," the chief economic minister stated.
President Director of state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina Nicke Widyawanti noted on the occasion that some stages had to be followed before raising the price of premium gasoline.
This is since premium is a special type of fuel assignment that is different from other types of fuels, including subsidized and non-subsidized fuels.
"The price will be decided by the minister through a coordination meeting with three ministers. Several variables should be considered," Widyawanti noted.
She remarked that Pertamina will follow what is set by the regulator.
"If it does not rise, we follow," Widyawanti added.
The government, on Wednesday, postponed its plan to increase the price of premium gasoline that was earlier announced by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan.
"Minister of State-owned Enterprises (Rini Soemarno) has urged Pak (Mr) Jonan to postpone (the increase)," Deputy for Mining Business, Strategic Industry, and Media of the Ministry of SOE Fajar Harry Sampurno noted on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, at 5:30 p.m. Central Indonesian Time (WITA), Jonan announced that the government had decided to raise the price of premium gasoline to Rp7 thousand per liter for Java, Madura, and Bali (Jamali) areas and Rp6.9 thousand per liter for regions outside Jamali.
"The government considers the price of premium gasoline to be adjusted today (Wednesday)," Minister Jonan stated at the Sofitel Hotel, Nusa Dua, Bali.
However, at 7 p.m. WITA, Sampurno announced that Minister Soemarno had coordinated with Minister Jonan and agreed to postpone the premium price hike.
Sampurno noted that the SOE Ministry knew of the price hike only after it was announced by Minister Jonan.
"We knew of it only after Pak Jonan announced it. We have urged the SOE minister about it whether the hike could be implemented," he noted.
Through its earlier announcement, the government was adjusting the price of premium per liter from Rp6,650 to Rp7,000 in the Jamali areas and from Rp6,450 to Rp6,900 per liter outside the Jamali regions.
The price adjustment was to be carried out at about 6 p.m. Western Indonesia Standard Time based on the readiness of state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina in popularizing it in about 2.5 thousand gas stations that sell premium fuel.
However, at 7 p.m. WITA, Sampurno announced that Minister Soemarno and Minister Jonan had agreed to postpone the premium price hike.
Reporting by Indra Arief Pribadi
Editing by Yoseph Hariyadi
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
