JAKARTA, Jan 16 – The Indonesian government targets to utilise a budget totalling Rp186.9 trillion (US$12 billion) in 2024 for energy subsidies, reported ANTARA news agency.
“In 2024, the total value for fuel and LPG (liquified petroleum gas) subsidies is targetted at Rp113.3 trillion (US$7.2 billion),” the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Minister Arifin Tasrif stated in Jakarta on Monday.
“Meanwhile, a budget totalling Rp73.6 trillion (US$4.7 billion) is targetted for electricity subsidies.”
He made the statement at a press conference titled “ESDM Performance Achievements 2023 and Work Programmes 2024” held at the ESDM Ministry Building.
According to Tasrif, the government has considered to continue providing energy subsidies in an effort to maintain the people’s purchasing power and anticipate an increase in the prices and demand for energy, especially crude oil.
“We all know that we need to prepare packages of energy subsidies at home for the people. Hence, the government decided to continue distributing energy subsidies,” he explained.
Tasrif noted that the realisation of energy subsidies last year had reached Rp159.6 trillion (US$10.2 billion), involving Rp95.6 trillion (US$6.1 billion) for fuel and LPG subsidies and Rp64 trillion (US$4.1 billion) for electricity subsidies.
He remarked that the total figure exceeded the initial target of Rp145.3 trillion (US$9.3 billion).
