The parliament planned to speed up discussions of RAPBN-P state budget
of 2013 to be presented by the government. The commitment was to be made by the
Chairman of house in the Consultative Meeting with President SBY at the
presidential Palace on Monday [13/5].
By the rule, discussion of RAPBN-P 2013 should last for 1 month, but the
government was expecting to complete it in 3 weeks. To accomplish it in 1 week,
maximized effort was necessary so by June 2013 it could be legalized. This was
stated by Chairman of house Marzuki Alie to the press after the meeting.
He further remarked that in the consultative meeting the plan to
increase oil price was not technically discussed. According to Marzuki it would
be discussed after RAPBN-P 2013 state budget was accepted as agenda of meeting
and further on.
The house could understand government’s plan to increase oil price
because some macro assumptions made in APBN 2013 had changed. The Indonesian
crude price which was set at USD 100/barrel had now come to USD 111/barrel
while Rupiah value against USD had also changed. So the increased global price
of crude oil today was a heavy burden to the state because subsidy for oil rose
drastically; such was the reason why APBN-P 2013 needed to be discussed.
Bitter Choice
Chairman of house Marzuki Alie stressed that to increase oil price was a
better choice to make in the effort to rescue state budget and pro-people fund
allocation. Such was disclosed in his introductory speech in session period lV
of 2012/2013 during plenary meeting on Monday [13/5]. Unless price adjustment
was made subsidy value would come to more that Rp297 trillion, way beyond the
psychological capacity of APBN state budget.
According to Marzuki, consumption of subsidized oil which had quota of 46
million kilo liter would be surpassed, reaching 48-57 million kl. Such would
suppress APBN budget and expand deficit exceeding the limit set in the law.
This pressure on APBN happened during uncertain situation of global economy,
for that matter, house insisted the government not to hesitate to make
decisions.
The Chairman asked that the money obtained form oil subsidy be allocated
for building infra structure, energy processing and energy diversification plan
especially development of renewable energy. To the parliament, this measure was
indispensable to build national energy resilience in the future.
Furthermore Marzuki said that late supply of premium oil in some regions
sometime ago and shortage of diesel [solar] oil was a lesson to learn that
energy crisis would finally end up in adverse national energy resilience which
would threaten national stability in all aspects.
Other points which caused house’s grievances was increased price of some
food commodities which had its impact on inflation which made food prices
unaffordable. For that Metter all poverty eradication programs and opening of
employment opportunities had been set through proper and on-target mechanism.
The parliament also urged the government to foster inter-institutional
coordinator, anticipate and control the market whereby to identify stock of
food according to need. (SS)
Business News - May 17,2013
No comments:
Post a Comment