Industry Ministry: Business Unaffected by Fuel Price Hike
10 November 2014 19:26 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Industry Minister Saleh Husin said he had yet to hear any objection nor complaint from business owners on the government's planned increase in subsidized fuel prices. According to Saleh, the fuel price hike would not have significant impacts on industries.
“Industries are using industrial fuel instead of subsidized fuel,” Saleh said on Monday, November 10, 2014.
Saleh revealed the increased prices would have more significant impacts on the logistics sector and laborers. Therefore, Saleh called on the government, business owners and laborers to establish strong communication over fuel prices.
Earlier, Eni Sri Hartati, an analyst at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), considered that the government should postpone its plans to increase fuel prices since data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) showed the economy was not in a good shape.
“The government must take the data into account,” Eni said.
By the third quarter of 2014, Eni said, the economic growth rate was still below 5 percent due to interest rate, fuel prices and electricity price hike. As a result, the public’s consumption was still focused on primary necessities, particularly food.
AMIRULLAH | RIKY F.
