VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said that President Joko Widodo has instructed his staff to anticipate a shortage of subsidized diesel during Ramadan and Eid.

"The President has given instructions so that this is immediately anticipated, the shortage of diesel fuel," the Vice President said on the sidelines of his working visit to Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday.

The Vice President said the President has also assigned the relevant ministers to take steps to fulfill the availability of subsidized diesel.

He stressed that the government will continue to monitor the fulfillment of subsidized diesel.

"I think we just have to wait a few days for something to be announced regarding the steps we are discussing," the Vice President said.

House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani had earlier urged the government to ensure the availability of diesel to prevent hindrances in logistics distribution during Ramadan and Eid.

"Shortly, we will enter Ramadan. Thus, the biodiesel crisis that occurs must be addressed immediately. The government must be able to ensure the availability of biodiesel supply so as not to disrupt the distribution (process) of logistics transportation," Maharani said.

She urged the government to promptly find a solution to the subsidized diesel crisis, as it has the potential to trigger problems in various regions. The diesel fuel crisis can disrupt logistics distribution and cause losses to farmers due to problems in the distribution of produce, she pointed out.

In line with the meeting of Commission VII of the DPR and the government, Maharani deemed it necessary to increase the quota of subsidized biodiesel, so that the community's needs can be met.

The DPR speaker said she understood that the subsidized biodiesel quota reduction was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Maharani noted that the increase in biodiesel demand was due to economic recovery.

"This condition must become a consideration for the government. The crisis in subsidized diesel will cause a broad impact if not handled promptly, especially ahead of the Ramadan month," she cautioned.

The DPR speaker emphasized the importance of supervising the subsidized fuel distribution process. To this end, she urged the government to coordinate with law enforcement officers for the distribution process.

"The distribution of subsidized diesel must be right on target. Strict action must be taken on all types of misuse in the distribution of subsidized diesel," she said.  (Antaranews)