BBM Naik Dorong Investasi Asing Masuk ke Indonesia
Fuel Price Hike to Encourage Foreign Investment to Indonesia
Reporter : Gatot Priyantono
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
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Jakarta (B2B) - Naiknya harga bahan bakar minyak (BBM) bersubsidi secara tidak langsung akan mendorong investor asing untuk berinvestasi di Indonesia.
“Pemerintah dapat mengalokasikan (pendapatan) kenaikan harga bahan bakar bersubsidi untuk membangun jalan, pelabuhan, dan infrastruktur lainnya. Dengan cara ini, investor asing akan bersedia untuk berinvestasi di Indonesia,” kata mantan menteri keuangan Chatib Basri di Jakarta, Selasa.
Basri menambahkan bahwa masuknya investasi asing akan mengarah pada penciptaan lapangan kerja, yang akan mengurangi tingkat penganguran dan kemiskinan.
“Pemerintah melakukan hal yang benar dalam menaikkan harga BBM bersubsidi. Mengapa kita harus membakar uang (subsidi) di jalan raya?” katanya.
Sebelum harga BBM bersubsidi naik, hanya orang-orang menengah keatas yang menikmati subsidi BBM. Dengan dicabut/dikurangi subsidinya dan dialihkan kepada orang miskin, kesenjangan antara kaya dan miskin dapat dipersempit.
“Orang kaya bisa membangun infrastruktur sendiri karena mereka memiliki uang. Misalnya, perusahaan yang kaya dapat membangun generator listrik mereka sendiri. Sebagian perusahaan kecil tidak bisa, mereka bergantung pada infrastruktur publik.” ungkapnya.
Basri lebih lanjut mencatat bahwa infrastruktur publik dapat dibangun dalam jumlah besar jika subsidi BBM dialihkan untuk membiayai pembangunannya. “Untuk membantu orang-orang dari kelas bawah, kita harus menyediakan mereka dengan bantuan langsung.” tegasnya.
Jakarta (B2B) - The former finance minister of Indonesia, Chatib Basri stated that the recent rise in the prices of subsidized fuels will indirectly encourage foreign investors to invest in Indonesia, former finance minister Chatib Basri said.
"The Indonesian government can reallocate (revenue from) the increase in the prices of subsidized fuels to build roads, ports and other infrastructures. This way, foreign investors will be willing to invest in Indonesia," he stated here on Tuesday.
Basri added that the inflow of foreign investment will lead to the creation of more jobs, which will reduce the countrys poverty rate eventually.
"The governments move to raise the prices of subsidized fuels is right. Why should we burn the money on roads?" he remarked.
Before the subsidized fuel prices were hiked, only well-to-do families enjoyed the fuel subsidy. With the subsidy revoked and diverted to the poor, the gap between the rich and the poor can be narrowed, the former minister pointed out.
"The rich people can build infrastructure on their own because they have money. For instance, rich companies can build their own generator sets; as small companies cannot, they depend on public infrastructures," he explained.
Basri further noted that public infrastructures can be built in large numbers if the fuel subsidy is diverted to finance their construction.
"To help people from the lower class, we must provide them with direct assistance," he emphasized.
On November 17, the government announced the fuel price hikes, raising the price of subsidized gasoline to Rp8.5 thousand from Rp6.5 thousand per liter and that of subsidized diesel oil to Rp7.5 thousand from Rp5.5 thousand per liter.
