INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT READY TO FACE HOUSE'S INQUIRY
By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, July 2 (ANTARA) - While the House of Representatives (DPR) is forming a special inquiry committee on the increased domestic fuel oil prices, the government says it is ready to face the parliamentary investigation.
"The government is ready to face the inquiry," Minister/Sate Secretary Hatta Radjasa told the press on the sidelines of a House plenary meeting on Monday.
The House's plenary meeting last June 24, 2008, had agreed to use its inquiry right on the government's policy to increase fuel oil prices by an average of 28.7 percent. For this purpose, the House on Tuesday formed an inquiry committee consisting of 50 legislators from all political party factions.
Minister Hatta Radjasa who attended Tuesday's House plenary session, said the government was "not afraid" in the face of the House's initial steps to conduct an inquiry into the government's decision.
"We are ready... the government will respond to it," he told reporters.
The government is now doing "various things" to prepare itself for the House inquiry. But he said he was not sure whether President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would personally come to the House when summoned for the inquiry.
The government would duly explain its position and arguments for raising the fuel oil prices in light of the reality that Indonesia needed 1.100 million barrels of oil per day, whereas its oil production was only 900,000 barrels per day so that it had to import 200,000 barrels per day.
"So, having to import 200,000 barrels per day, it is logical that every time the world oil price increases, the country will feel the impact. But the higher fuel oil prices are not only related with the world crude price but also with the fact that the fuel oil subsidy is 70 percent enjoyed by the rich as the subsidized fuel oils are used by cars and for non-automotive purposes so that the subsidy scheme has to be changed," Communication and Information Minister Mohammad Nuh said meanwhile.
The government raised domestic fuel oil prices in May as part of its efforts to reduce increasing subsidy amid the upward trend of the global crude prices which were hovering at US$120 a barrel, which could push up fuel subsidy to more than Rp125 trillion put a heavy burden on the state budget.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday the government recently increased domestic fuel oil prices by an average of 28.7 percent as it had estimated the world crude oil price would reach US$110-US$120 per barrel.
But now the president expressed concern as the world crude continued to soar reaching US$150 per barrel. He said if the world oil price rose to US$140-US$145, the fuel oil subsidy would reach Rp205 trillion, not to mention the subsidy for electricity which would increase by Rp80 trillion to Rp300 trillion. When the world crude oil price approached US$150 per barrel, the fuel oil subsidy would reach Rp230 trillion in addition to Rp80 trillion for the electricity subsidy.
Despite all these reasons, calls for the implementation of the inquiry continued. Former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Amien Rais asked even students and the media to watch over the implementation of the DPR's inquiry.
"I call on students and the mass media to keep an eye on the House special committee that will handle the inquiry so the initiative will not evaporate," Rais said.
Speaking to the press after participating in a discussion on the position and orientation of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) members in the global Islamic community, he said , if not constantly watched over by the public, spectacular initiatives in the parliament often lost steam or tapered off before they had achieved anything.
"I hope the House special committee handling the inquiry will be able to bring to light all the scandals in the oil industry that have so far been covered up," said Rais who is also a former chairman of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in the country.
Ario Bimo, a member of the Indonesian Democractic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) faction in the House explained the significance of the House's initiative of inquiry.
"It means the House now has the authority to investigate the government's policies on the management of fuel oils, including its policy of raising the fuel oil prices by 28.7 percent last May," he said.
The investigation, however, should not necessarily lead to the impeachment of the president. Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said the House of Representatives (DPR)'s decision to use its right of inquiry was not related to a presidential impeachment because under the amended Constitution a House inquiry was not a valid ground to move for impeachment.
"Regarding impeachment, the Constitution is clear in stating that under the presidential system, it can happen only when the president has committed one or more of certain serious offenses. So, we need to differentiate between rules in the old Constitution and those in the amended Constitution," Mallarangeng said at the State Palace.
The offenses for which a president could be impeached included treason, corruption, nepotism and collusion (KKN), bribery, and serious criminal acts, he said.
House Speaker Agung Laksono concurred with Andi, saying the use of DPR's right of inquiry on the government's fuel oil price policy will not lead to President Yudhoyono's impeachment.
He said a president could be impeached only if he was guilty of one or more of a number of serious offenses such as a criminal act, corruption or treason. His guilt should also be proven by the Constitutional Court.
After all, the government is now ready to face in the inquiry. "The government is now waiting for the House's notification while preparing the data that might be needed to answer the questions," Communication and Information Minister Mohammad Nuh said.
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