Hundreds in Jakarta protest sharp fuel price spike

Hundreds of people marched in Indonesia's capital on Monday demanding that the government revoke its decision to increase fuel prices, which they say will hurt people already reeling from the economic impact of the pandemic.

Prices of gasoline and diesel fuel jumped by about 30% last month after President Joko Widodo's administration cut fuel subsidies to reduce the country's multibillion-dollar budget deficit.

Widodo said the decision to increase the fuel prices was his last option as the country's energy subsidy had tripled this year. The government has announced an additional 1.6 billion USD aid package that will be released for 20.6 poor families and workers starting last week until the year-end, to cushion the impact of the fuel price increase.