"Here people had remained silent even when the price had reached Rp60,000 or Rp100,000 per liter for many years," Jokowi said.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The price of premium type subsidized fuel in Boven Digoel District, Papua Province, has been lowered to Rp6,000 per liter, according to Boven Digoel District Head Benediktus Tambonop.
"Thanks God the fuel price in Boven Digoel is now relatively cheaper or Rp6,000 per liter," Benediktus remarked here on Sunday.
According to him, rampant construction of road infrastructure carried out by the central government has made the fuel price suppressed.
Nevertheless, he explained that not all facilities and infrastructure in Boven Digoel, some 450 kilometers from Merauke, have been completed.
Benediktus said the decline in fuel price could also affect the prices of other commodities including cement prices.
During a visit to Yahukimo, Papua, last week, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) launched the one fuel price policy across the country, including in Papua and West Papua provinces where the price of gasoline was much higher than in Java. It reached up to Rp100,000 a liter, compared to only around Rp6,450 in Java.
The policy is aimed at ensuring social justice for all Indonesians.
"In Java, the price is only Rp6,450 per liter while for tens of years in Papua, it has been Rp50,000, Rp60,000 or even Rp100,000 per liter," the President explained at the launch event.
In Java, a hike of just Rp1,000 makes people angry but in Papua or other eastern regions, people take it in their stride even when the price zooms many times higher than in other regions, he observed, adding he would not let such an anomaly to continue.
"Here people had remained silent even when the price had reached Rp60,000 or Rp100,000 per liter for many years," he recalled.
In view of that, the President has ordered the Minister of State Enterprises and the state-owned oil company PT Pertamina to immediately put in place the one price policy in Papua and West Papua.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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