Although he did not divulge details on the energy subsidies scheme to be implemented by the government, as it is still under discussion, the minister, commonly known as Gus Ipul, emphasized that the distribution will prioritize the principle of being right on target.
“In principle, the subsidy should not be misdirected, so we will wait and see what the policy will be like. The Ministry of Social Affairs, along with several other ministries, had been asked to consolidate the data first,” he remarked when met at the Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to Gus Ipul, data consolidation is one of the preparations for providing energy subsidies on target and is useful in creating single data that can become a basis for policy, so benefits can be felt by people according to their needs.
“We hope to have that single data in the near future, and we will work based on that,” he remarked.
The government continues to review and deepen the energy subsidy formula, particularly for fuel and electricity prices, through direct assistance to the public and community to ensure that government assistance is well-targeted.
“The government is further studying this and calculating what compensation measures should be taken. The proposal is expected to be in the form of direct assistance to the community. The government is currently conducting studies on this,” Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto remarked.
Hartarto explained that energy subsidies were one of the concerns of President Prabowo Subianto to ensure that the purchasing power of the middle class does not decline.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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