Masduki explained that the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs had proposed those assistance programs for which an approval was still awaited from other ministries and President Joko Widodo.
"We have proposed and discussed them with the coordinating minister for economic affairs and the minister of finance, one of which is Presidential Assistance for Micro Enterprises in the form of grants. Second, we have collaborated with the Ministry of SOEs to procure subsidized diesel fuel for fishers," he noted at the Bali Collection Nusa Dua here on Thursday.
Masduki noted that his ministry is targeting grants for MSMEs to be approved soon, so that they can be distributed quickly to business actors. According to the plan, each business actor will receive a grant of Rp600 thousand.
Meanwhile, he said that for fishers, the cooperation with the Ministry of SOEs would be tested on-site within the next three months.
The Diesel for Fishers' Cooperatives Program, which is a form of the cooperation, will be implemented in Lhoknga in Aceh, Deli Serdang in North Sumatra, Indramayu in West Java, Pekalongan in Central Java, Semarang in Central Java, Surabaya in East Java, and East Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara.
According to the minister, the program aims to ensure that fishers can buy diesel fuel at a price that is implemented at gas stations and not the highest retail price that can reach Rp10 thousand per liter.
"Some 60 percent of the fishers' production (cost) is for diesel. Thus, they will be affected (by the fuel price hike). We will pilot it (the program) in seven locations until December (2022). We will use mini Pertashop (mini gas station), and subsidy recipients (will be verified) by name and address," he explained.
On the same occasion, he assessed that the increase in fuel prices offered a momentum for the government to improve diesel fuel supply to fishers.
Earlier, the government, on Saturday, September 3, raised the price of subsidized Pertalite fuel, from Rp7,650 per liter to Rp10 thousand per liter; subsidized diesel, from Rp5,150 per liter to Rp6,800 per liter; and non-subsidized Pertamax, from Rp12,500 to Rp14,500 per liter.
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Translator: Genta Tenri, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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