By: Wilson MA Therik SE., MSi

"I do not understand. Indonesian producer of oil, why fuel trouble? "

Confusion and a big question mark was disclosed by Hadi, a businessman nine fishing vessel owners in Kuala Tungkal, District of West Tanjung Jabung, Jambi Province. In fact, the Western Cape is a region Jabung oil and gas are explored Petro China (Reuters, July 7, 2004).

Every day we wake up, shower (for the time), dress, shoes, seraan, maybe a chance to read the newspaper for a while, then went to work taking public transportation or vehicle alone. Or prepare children for school and household chores, everyday life, including laundry, shopping and cooking. Does not necessarily mean that we are aware that we use and what we do, all the "smelly" Fuel (BBM).

Soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, clothing, food we eat, the newspapers we read this, your own vehicle or public transportation that we were on, all the "bad" fuel. Also soap detergent, dish soap, kerosene stoves, or gas, iron. Well as school supplies to our children. Whether to produce the objects or transport it.

At work well together, all the tools we use all the "smells" of fuel, to produce or transport it, so to the office, campus or factory, or on the go. Including home phone, office or cellular phone. In fact, all the wealth that we have (house and its contents, crops and fish ponds as well as anything) "smell" the same. Even if ours is 100 percent imported, fuel required to transport it from the harbor to get to our home. We go anywhere "smell" of fuel. Electricity we use at home, at work, on the road or anywhere is very high dependence on fuel.

The high dependence occurred because in the past, the advice of experts electrical Indonesia, that Indonesia has many rivers that make use of it for Hydroelectric Power (hydropower) into small pieces, which do not sespektakuler Jatiluhur or Karangkates hydropower. On the contrary, our nation whether it be government, business moneyed or poor farmers to destroy forests and the environment that enables the construction of small hydro-power plant. (Kompas, Sunday, June 17, 2001).

Instead of flying, ships, public transportation or air-conditioned car, farmers living in rural and remote communities or tribes could not not "smell" of fuel. They need clothing, soap, salt and flip-flops.

If you read this get here, you might say, "it does baseball have to be told. Small children know! "But the fact is difficult to argue, our lives (especially the so-called modern life) can not be separated from the" snares "of fuel. Fuel is like is like a "breath" we. We can not live without fuel.

As with all of the fuel price hike, the government announced an increase this time by reason forced by the global economic crisis. Indonesia's economy could not keep turned on with a subsidy. Also implicitly stated that the people of Indonesia should not be lightly lived with a subsidy, because it will burden the State Budget (Budget) and the entire economy. The Indonesian people living in the era of globalization, which will not survive this way and the economy will not be recovered. Reasons of economic globalization were used markets.

Bottom line or a common thread is that people are asked to pay for an economy that still continues in a state of crisis and asked to be willing to live more "poor". However, no apology from the government (in power with the mandate of the people). There was no apology to make people's lives permintaa with heavier economic burden and live more "poor" and accept an invitation to be patient.

Why? Because the government does not feel the need to do it. The government also knows that without apologizing, the whole nation can not live without fuel and the people like it or not, like it or not will accept with resignation, because of their powerlessness.

Thus the increase in fuel prices is the easiest way, in order to repair and restore the nation's economy. So also raise electricity rates due to rising fuel prices or raise phone rates. In fact, raise the rates of taxes. Because you need is a government decision, which like it or not, would or would not be accepted by all people.

What government does this, not without reason. Government can not afford, having trouble, slow, reluctant, even seem unwilling to do the economic recovery, through a more difficult, more effort. The economic crisis makes the carrying capacity of the economy for the 200 million people of Indonesia are inadequate and insufficient. This makes the economic wealth of a bone of contention. Increasingly scarce economic wealth, the wealth a little more heated it up for grabs, such as crowd honey bees fight over the amount is inadequate. The more steps, more and make people more greedy.

But some say, to get out of the economic crisis, people of a country must bear the burden and suffered first, then the remedy can live richer and more prosperous.

But the question is whether the burden and suffering is borne only by the common people, while the political elite and economic elite fighting instead of real property can be used to restore the economy?

Perhaps due to this reason, the government did not dare to be frank and open the card, invite all people to live more weight, before the economy can recover. The government does not dare to deliver anything that must be borne by the people, before they start a better life.

In 1997 South Korea and Thailand are both experiencing economic crisis in Indonesia. Suffering due to the crisis experienced by Indonesia are not superior to those countries. The next question, South Korea and Thailand have come out of the crisis, but why Indonesia has not? South Korea and Thailand was able to get out of the crisis, but why can not Indonesia? Does the government and the Indonesian people more stupid than the government of South Korea and Thailand? Or more selfish, or greedy?

Back to the questions posed at the beginning of this paper Hadi. There is something wrong in the management of oil in Indonesia! Such a long history, which should be equipped to step more advanced than countries without oil resources, instead producing a large question mark and confusion.

Domestically, we are blaming each other by saying "not me, not me?" Which means we are not the cause of recovery of the economic crisis does not go there. But the nations of the world will laugh. They do not look at individuals who are the culprit of slow economic recovery. They see Indonesia as a whole nation not capable of restoring its economic crisis.

* Opinion has been published in the Daily Morning EAST EXPRESS, published in the city on May 14, 2008