The vouchers, worth Rp300 thousand, could be used for obtaining gasoline and diesel fuels that they need at select gas stations, Sorong Mayor George Yarangga noted here on Monday.
The city government distributes the fuel vouchers to eligible recipients to implement Finance Minister's Regulation No.134/PMK.07/2022, he remarked.
The vouchers given to the drivers of ojek and other modes of public transportation is part of the city government's efforts to control the inflation rate in the aftermath of the recent fuel price hike, he added.
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ANTARA reported earlier that on September 3, 2022, the Indonesian government had decided to revise the prices of subsidized and non-subsidized fuels.
Accordingly, the price of subsidized Pertalite (RON 90) fuel was raised to Rp10 thousand (US$0.67) per liter, from Rp7,650 (US$0.51) earlier.
Meanwhile, the price of Solar (diesel) fuel was increased to Rp6,800 (US$0.45) per liter, from Rp5,150 (US$0.34), and non-subsidized Pertamax (RON 92) fuel to Rp14,500 (US$20.97) per liter, from Rp12,500 (US$0.83).
The government decided to divert the fuel subsidy to provide direct social assistance to eligible residents in a bid to relieve the energy subsidy burden that has consumed Rp502.4 trillion (US$33.6 billion) of this year's state budget.
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According to the president, the government has, since long, been committed to protecting citizens from the fluctuations in global oil prices, and the energy subsidy has been allowed to increase three folds, from the initial ceiling set in the state budget.
The government has readied a total budget of Rp12.4 trillion to provide fuel cash assistance for 20.65 million beneficiary families.
Each beneficiary family receives Rp150 thousand per month for a period of four months, and the disbursement is conducted in two phases, so each beneficiary family receives Rp300 thousand in September and another Rp300 thousand in December.
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Translator: Ernes, BK, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
