Jakarta – Chairman of Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Bambang Pati Jaya, confirmed that there has been no decision from the government regarding the prohibition of fuel subsidies for online motorcycle taxis. (ojol). The government is assuredly making a decision that favors the public.
“That the issue developing about fuel or ride-hailing drivers is still being exercised by the government, so it is not yet a decision,” said Bambang in his statement, Jakarta, Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
He assured that the Golkar Faction in the Indonesian House of Representatives supports ojol (online motorcycle taxi drivers) in receiving fuel subsidies. One of the measures is to ensure that ojol can still fill up on pertalite.
“And basically, the Golkar faction supports the ojol to be given fuel subsidy support, such as pertalite, which they can still fill up, later the technical control will be thought of how to do it,” he said.
Bambang reiterated that there has been no decision from the government regarding the prohibition of ride-hailing drivers from filling up with subsidized fuel. He said that the DPR, together with the government, will seek the best solution for the community.
“Roughly speaking, that’s the point, the other details about what the government’s decision will be are not yet available, so we can explore all possible options, basically we will seek and support what is best for the Indonesian people,” he emphasized.
The Government’s Reason
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, previously stated that the criteria for recipients of fuel subsidies, including for online motorcycle taxi drivers (ojol), are still under discussion and no final decision has been made.
Main Reason: Focus on Public Transportation One of the main reasons why ojol drivers are considered not to be included in the list of subsidy recipients is the type of vehicle they use.
Ojol vehicles are considered personal business tools, unlike public transportation which is deemed to require more subsidies to support the mobility of the wider community.
According to Bahlil, subsidized fuel should be allocated to support the public transportation sector, which has a direct impact on the wider community. This is also in line with the government’s goal of creating a more equitable and fair distribution of subsidies.
Responding to that plan, millions of online motorcycle taxi drivers or ojol are ready to take to the streets to protest if the government indeed prohibits them from purchasing subsidized fuel such as Pertalite. This was revealed by the Chairman of the Indonesian Online Motorcycle Taxi Drivers Association, Garda Indonesia, Igun Wicaksono.
“If ojol drivers are unable to receive or fill up on subsidized fuel later, there will definitely be a wave of massive protests across Indonesia to oppose this decision by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia,” said Igun, quoted from Antara, Saturday (30/11/2024).
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