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Government Will Not Raise Fuel Prices Again
Monday, 28 March, 2005 | 16:21 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie has said that the government will not raise fuel prices again, even though the anticipated oil price in the Draft Alterations to the 2005 State Budget (RAPBN-P 2005) has changed.
The oil price assumption in the RAPBN-P 2005, which had been handed by the Minister of Finance to the House of Representatives (DPR) budget committee, was US$35.
“We made the US$35 assumption based on the presidential decree who also stated the fuel prices,” Aburizal said at the Ministry of Finance on Monday (28/3).

He explained that even though the oil price assumption is rising, the government guarantees to ensure the current fuel price position.
According to Aburizal, the oil price assumption would increase if the State Budget (APBN) deficit were to rise.
As has already been reported, the APBN deficit for this year is 1.07 percent.
Aburizal went on to say that the government had already made some scenarios for the oil price assumption in the APBN of US$40 or US$45.
However, a decision to increase the oil price assumption is dependent on the approval of the House of Representatives (DPR).
“Because we made it in line with the Presidential Decree,” he said.

Evy Flamboyan