REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – The government’s plan to increase power basic tariff (TDL) is postponed, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik said on Thursday, without elaborated the exact time. The plan could be re-evaluated in the revision of state budget on October 2012, he said. It means the increasing of electricity basic tariff can be evaluated for 2013.

Postponing the tariff rise also means more subsidy is needed for the state electricity company (PLN). The subsidy budget for PLN in state budget 2012 is 40.45 trillion IDR and PLN proposed the additional subsidies in the amount of 49.10 trillion IDR. The total subsidies would be 89.55 trillion IDR.

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister of Economy Hatta Rajasa said government and House of Representatives still discussed the probability of TDL’s spike. “The discussion is still ongoing. We are formulating the right decision,” he said on Thursday.

He explained the probability of suspension could happen due to reasonable reason. “The point is do not let our industry and citizens hit twice,” he said.

He added government must find the solution to tackle deficit from fiscal side. Should the TDL not increased, deficit could reach 2.8 percent. “With the present situation, deficit has reached 2.23 percent. And state budget deficit is 0.5 percent,” he said. 

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika