President Yudhoyono promised on Wednesday to keep the gas price at the current level until the end of his administration. “The gas price was initially planned to be increased every month, but I have requested that there will be no more increases,” Yudhoyono said after the meeting on impacts of the rising gas price at his office.

The government promise was on gas in tubes for household consumers with the capacity of 12 kilograms and in tubes with the capacity of 50 kilograms for larger retail consumers.

The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro meanwhile said after the meeting, he is leaving the decision on his position to the president. “Who is in charge to appoint or dismiss me?” Purnomo quoted as saying after the meeting.

The Safeguard Committee on State Assets on Tuesday urged the government to sack Purnomo from his position, to prevent conflict of interest in the renegotiation process on selling price for Tangguh gas.

The government instructed the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani last week to form a team to renegotiate for Tangguh.

Anton Aprianto