REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) urges the government to immediately increase the fuel price following the fuel shortage in several regions. The uncertainty of fuel supply as seen in Kalimantan disrupted the economy, the Chairman of Indonesian Kadin, Suryo Bambang Sulisto, said recently.
"Kadin has proposed the increasing of fuel price since long time ago. If we are thrown into uncertainty as we are today, many people will ilegally stockpile then it draws the price higher," he said.
On the other way around, fuel scarcity could be caused by the illegal stockpiling and he was worried the situation would get worse as people must pay more for fuel.
He believed that people were willing to pay more if the supply was undisrupted. In his perspective, the increasing of fuel price could make Indonesian economy become more transparent.
He added, Indonesian fuel price was far cheaper than any other countries. "Don't be a republic of dream. If we are aware that those who use the subsidy are not the poor, why we still help them?" he said.