Indonesia hikes fuel prices to rein in ballooning subsidies

FILE PHOTO: Motorcycle drivers wait in line to buy subsidised fuel at a petrol station of the state-owned company Pertamina, in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 22, 2022. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/File Photo

JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia raised subsidised fuel prices by about 30% on Saturday, as the government moves to rein in ballooning subsidies despite a risk of mass protests.

The price of subsidised gasoline was raised to 10,000 rupiah ($67 U.S. cents) a litre from 7,650 rupiah, while that of subsidised diesel rose to 6,800 rupiah a litre from 5,150 rupiah, energy minister Arifin Tasrif said.