Operators need to be cooperative by not increasing the tariff excessively. We (the government) have a price cap. Jakarta (ANTARA) – The government has asked airlines in Indonesiato not increase airfares “unreasonably” during the 2023 Eid Al-Fitr exodus flow.”There is an important thing that we want to convey to (airplane) operators: please do not increase the prices unreasonably,” Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said after a closed meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to discuss the Eid exodus flow at the Presidential Office here on Friday. He emphasized that the government has set a ceiling for transportation ticket prices that will need to be obeyed. “We know that the public needs (transportation) for homecoming or vacation. Operators need to be cooperative by not increasing the tariff excessively. We (the government) have a price cap,” he said. If airlines set prices above the upper limit during the Eid exodus period, the government will impose strict sanctions, he said. The upper limit on ticket prices is a point where operators can get profits while still maintaining the people’s purchasing power, he added. “Hence, we always monitor the prices from day to day, be it planes, buses, or trains. (The upper limit) must not be violated; we will give sanction if it is violated. We ask operators and the media to help monitor and supervise these ticket prices,” Sumadi said. The minister also highlighted the predicted increase in the number of travelers during the Eid holiday period to 123 million people this year from 85 million in 2022. Meanwhile, 18 million people from the Greater Jakarta area, which comprises Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi, will travel during the holiday, an increase from 14 million the previous year, according to the ministry.s “This means that there are increases (in the number of travelers) of 47 percent nationally and 27 percent from the Greater Jakarta area,” the minister said. baca-jugaRelated news: Expect uptick in number of exodus participants this year: MinisterRelated news: Eid Holiday boosts spending, consumption indicating economic recovery
Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)