Day: April 10, 2022

The Pertamax fuel (RON 92) price hike is inevitable because it is not subsidized, and the fluctuation of its prices is based on global oil prices, state-owned oil company Pertamina’s official said in a statement that ANTARA received here Saturday.

“Pertamina always considers residents’ purchasing power, and the new Pertamax fuel price remains economically competitive compared to similar fuel type offered by other oil companies,” said Deden Mochamad Idhani, manager for communication and CSR at Pertamina’s commercial and trading sub-holding company Pertamina Patra Niaga’s East Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Area.

The decision to increase the non-subsidized fuel prices this year was made for the first after the one in 2019, he said, adding that the price adjustment was only done to the non-subsidy fuel consumed by only 17 percent of total number of customers.

Some 14 percent of the non-subsidized fuel price consumers use Pertamax while another three percent of them use Pertamax Turbo, Dexlite, and Pertamina Dex, Idhani said.

He affirmed that the price of subsidised Pertalite and Solar diesel fuel, consumed by 83 per cent of residents, will have its price unchanged.

Idhani said that despite the price hike, the final price of the non-subsidized fuel remains below its economic price, as current geopolitical crises caused the global price of oil to surpass US$100 per barrel.

To maintain the availability of fuel supplies and distributions, Pertamina carries out major operational efficiency that has inevitably triggered price hike, he added.

Idhani further expressed hope that residents would stick to using non-subsidised fuel that has higher quality.

“The new price remains affordable for financially-viable residents. We also urge residents to be more prudent by purchasing fuel only when needed,” Idhani remarked.

Earlier, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources’ Head of Communication, Public Information Service, and Cooperation Bureau Agung Pribadi said that considering the global fuel price increase in March, the economic price of RON 92 fuel in April may reach Rp16 thousand (US$1.12) per litre.

The current Pertamax fuel price of Rp12,500 (US$0.875) remains below its economically-ideal price. “The decision (to maintain the price) is to not add further burden to residents,” Pribadi remarked.

Source: Antara News

House of Representatives (DPR RI) Speaker Puan Maharani has urged entrepreneurs to pay Eid al-Fitr bonuses (THR) to their workers according to prevailing regulations.

“Workers’ rights for receiving the Eid al-Fitr bonuses must be assured. According to prevailing regulations, employers must pay the allowance to their workers in full by the latest seven days before the religious holiday,” Maharani said in her statement received here on Sunday.

She pointed out that Government Regulation No. 36 of 2021 on Wage and Manpower Ministry Regulation No. 6 of 2016 on Religious Allowance for Workers must be referred by entrepreneurs for the allowance payment.

For the last two years, entrepreneurs have been given leniency on the Eid allowance payment to lessen business burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic, the speaker said.

This year, entrepreneurs must pay the Eid bonuses for their employees in full according to ministerial regulations, and those who fail to pay the allowance will get sanctioned, she warned.

“The provision of Eid allowance is the entrepreneurs’ obligation to their workers. If their companies are late or fail to disburse the allowance, they will be sanctioned,” Maharani said.

The speaker cautioned that late allowance disbursement would be troublesome to the workers, particularly when the government allows the Eid homecoming journey to be performed again as the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Indonesia gradually improves.

“The Eid allowance must be transferred before the workers arrive at their hometown. Provision of the allowance will make workers return to their hometown in content heart,” she said.

Maharani reminded entrepreneurs of not paying the Eid allowance in instalments despite the practice being earlier tolerated.

“Our economy is gradually recovering, hence, no reason to delay or cut the workers’ Eid bonuses,” the speaker remarked.

She then asked workers to file a report to relevant authorities, such as the Manpower Ministry or the legislature, if they experience violations of their Eid allowance right.

“We open our doors to residents’ aspiration as the legislature has a supervision duty. Please file your complaints to various channels that the House has,” Maharani said.

Source: Antara News

An official of the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries confirmed that the ministry would develop two 50-metre fisheries surveillance ships equipped with anti-illegal fishing technology that would enhance fisheries monitoring activities in Indonesia.

The ministry’s Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Monitoring Rear Admiral Adin Nurawaluddin said that the two surveillance ships would be equipped with sophisticated equipment.

“The (ship) technology will be developed to enhance illegal fishing monitoring, this includes the fitting of a rope cutter that can cut the fishnet to disrupt illegal fishing practices,” Nurawaluddin said in his statement received here on Sunday.

Some features that will be fitted on the ships are a 360° overview wheelhouse to allow the ship captain to monitor all sides around the ship, a water cannon, a sea rider that is able to accommodate up to five people, as well a fin stabiliser and interceptors that will make ship cruise more stable, he revealed.

The director general said that the class II surveillance ship development will be carried out in collaboration with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the ship model had been earlier tested at the agency’s Hydrodynamic Technology Research Centre in Surabaya, East Java.

“The ship will be faster and more stable than earlier ships with the same class,” Nurawaluddin remarked.

The two ships will be constructed by Batam-based PT Palindo Marine shipyard and are expected to be completed in 2023, he said.

The Police’s Directorate of Corruption Crimes, the Attorney General Office, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Finance and Development Monitoring Agency (BPKP), the Government Goods and Services Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP), and the Ministry of Industry will be involved to supervise the surveillance ship development, the director general noted.

“The provision of the two surveillance ships will be supervised (by relevant agencies) to ensure adherence to prevailing laws,” Nurawaluddin said.

Earlier, Minister of Marine and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono affirmed the ministry’s commitment to enhancing surveillance technology for marine resources monitoring.

Source: Antara News