JAKARTA – Thousands of students and labour union members today held demonstrations in the capital and several other cities to protest the increase in fuel prices.
The workers’ union also rejected the Omnibus Law on Job Creation and demanded an increase in the minimum wage for next year.
Demonstrations were held in Medan Merdeka and at the Parliament complex in Central Jakarta, as well as in several other cities, including Acheh, Sulawesi and Yogyakarta.
According to local media, the participants expressed concern with the price hike which will cause all prices of commodities, food and public transport to increase as well.
Some 8,000 security personnel comprising the police and the army were assigned to control public order throughout the demonstration in the capital.
Since Saturday, the retail price of Pertalite has increased by 2,350 rupiah per litre to 10,000 rupiah per litre and diesel has increased by 1,650 rupiah per litre (RM0.71) to 6,800 per litre (RM2.05).
The price of Pertamax, without subsidy, also increased by 2,000 rupiah (RM0.60) to 14,500 per litre (RM4.38) in line with global oil prices and the depreciation of the rupiah.
However, the Indonesian government has launched the provision of social assistance to reduce the impact of the increase in the price of fuel for the first time since 2014.
The budget for energy subsidies is expected to jump to 698 trillion rupiah this year from 502 trillion rupiah if fuel prices are maintained. – Bernama, September 7, 2022
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