JAKARTA – The General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board for Religious Affairs, KH. Ahmad Fahrur Rozi views the fuel price adjustment as the best option by the government to prioritize the interests of the low-income community.
The reason is, Gus Fahrur highlighted that so far it is the middle and upper economic communities that still enjoy subsidies which are actually intended for small people.
He assessed that the policies taken by the government related to fuel actually formed a social safety net to protect the vulnerable economic community.
Gus Fahrur also saw that the government had thought of various options and was doing what was best for the interests of the people.
“The transfer of fuel subsidies to providing assistance to small communities is a step that must be taken if the state’s goal is to maintain the benefit of the community, especially the small economic community,” said Gus Fahrur.
The same thing was conveyed by the General Chairperson of the Central Executive GP Ansor Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. Instead, he called the fuel price adjustment “a form of subsidy justice for the people”.
He also did not heed that this situation is indeed difficult, especially after the pandemic and currently entering a global situation that has caused a high spike in world oil prices.
However, Yaqut assessed that the government had chosen the best option to place subsidies on the lower classes.
“We believe this is actually the most realistic option for the good of the country and the people,” he said.
The chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) KH Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya) also agreed. He considered that fuel price adjustment was a difficult decision to be taken in facing the current difficult situation.
However, according to him, if it is not done, the state will be more difficult. So it is natural for the government to adjust fuel prices, for the benefit of the community.
“The government’s policy of increasing fuel prices is a difficult choice in the midst of this complicated situation. However, we understand why the government has raised fuel prices,” he concluded.