If the subsidy is revoked, there are still so many low-income people with a low purchasing power still needed subsidized gasoline.
On the other hand, if no changes had been made, there is still automotive industries like Strada using subsidized gasoline.
This commission II chairman said it cannot be allowed to go on, control of public filling stations need to be tightened, especially against trucks.
The filling stations must be guarded by the police or other security personnel recording police tag numbers of cars buying diesel oil, in preventing the misuse of subsidies.
It is unthinkable that a car bought diesel oil twice a day, he pointed out.
While many traditional fishermen and small industries are still in need of low-cost diesel oil, gasoline subsidy cannot be revoked just like that.
In the meantime, former coordinating minister for economy Rizal Ramli asked the government to maintain subsidy for fuel oil, although the price in the world market continued to increase.
He said the government is not supposed to force the public to use fuel oil at economic prices.
He said the purchasing power of the people in Indonesia is different from those in many other countries which is high, so that it would not be fair to revoke the subsidy. (*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
