Indonesian news media showed great interest in a lecture given by Thomas Sterner at the second Annual Conference of the East Asian Association of Environmental and Resource Economics (EAAERE) at Bandung, Indonesia, on February 2-4. More than 20 news articles were published online, most of them about fuel subsidies, prices and taxes. The number of articles published in the printed press of Indonesia is not known.
At the conference Thomas Sterner, professor of environmental economics at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, gave a keynote lecture on “The Design of Environmental Policy Instrument: Efficiency, Informational Requirements and Political Feasibility”. He discussed his recent book Fuel Taxes and the Poor: The Distributional Effects of Gasoline Taxation and Their Implications for Climate Policy, and the findings of this book attracted great interest among Indonesian news journalists. Indonesia spends 10 percent of their budgets on fuel subsidies. Some years ago the figure was even higher, 30 percent.
The following news articles are available in Bahasa only, the official language of Indonesia. However, news media in South Africa as well as in Sweden have also reported on the subject, and some links to these report can be found at EfD in media or at the bottom of this page.
News reports from Indonesia:
2012-02-04 Sindonews: Kenaikan harga BBM pilihan tepat menekan subsidi
Rough translation: Raising the fuel price is the best choice
http://www.sindonews.com/read/2012/02/04/452/569467/kenaikan-harga-bbm-pilihan-tepat-menekan-subsidi
2012-02-04 Galamedia: Pembatasan BBM Gagal di Eropa
Rough translation: Quantity Restriction on subsidize oil will not work as it didn't in Europe
http://www.klik-galamedia.com/index.php?id=201202040737566
2012-02-03 Pikiran Rayat Online: Pembatasan BBM Bersubsidi tidak Efektif
Rough translation: Subsidized fuel restriction is not effective
http://www.pikiran-rakyat.com/node/175532
2012-02-03 Antara News: Emil Salim: jangan perkeruh isu BBM
Rough translation: Emil Salim: Give people correct information about oil subsidy)
http://www.antaranews.com/berita/295847/emil-salim-jangan-perkeruh-isu-bbm
2012-02-03 Bisnis jabara: PAKAR INTERNASIONAL: Dana pengurangan subsidi BBM untuk program kesra
Rough translation: International Expert: Fuel subsidies better switched for Welfare program
http://news.okezone.com/read/2012/02/04/452/569467/kenaikan-harga-bbm-pilihan-tepat-menekan-subsidi
http://www.pikiran-rakyat.com/node/175542
http://www.sindonews.com/read/2012/02/04/452/569467/kenaikan-harga-bbm-pilihan-tepat-menekan-subsidi
http://www.kabarekonomi.com/2012/02/indonesia-harus-segera-beralih-ke-energi-terbarukan.html
http://www.pikiran-rakyat.com/node/175532
http://www.klik-galamedia.com/index.php?id=201202040737566
http://www.bisnis.com/articles/harga-bbm-penyesuaian-harga-tak-rugikan-rakyat
http://jabar.tribunnews.com/read/artikel/129443/Penggunaan-BBM-Harus-Segera-Beralih
http://jabar.tribunnews.com/read/artikel/129445/di-indonesia-geothermal-cocok-gantikan-bbm
http://jabar.tribunnews.com/read/artikel/129444/sumber-energi-terbarukan-belum-tergarap-optimal
http://www.portalbandung.com/bisnis/item/50-ekonom-di-asia-timur-adakan-pertemuan-di-unpad.html
http://www.antaranews.com/berita/295847/emil-salim-jangan-perkeruh-isu-bbm
http://metrotvnews.com/read/news/2012/02/03/80789/Emil-Salim-Jangan-Perkeruh-Isu-BBM/2
http://bisnis-jabar.com/index.php/2012/02/unpad-gelar-kongres-ekonomi-lingkungan-se-asia-timur/
http://edukasi.kompas.com/read/2012/02/01/18421812/Unpad.Tuan.Rumah.Kongres.Ekonomi.Lingkungan.Asia.Timur
News reports from South Africa:
2012-01-15 Business Live, South Africa: Petrol taxes won't hurt the poor http://www.businesslive.co.za/southafrica/sa_markets/2012/01/15/petrol-taxes-won-t-hurt-the-poor?mode=all
Higher petrol taxes don't hurt the poor but the use of fossil fuels should be made a crime against humanity as the world has only 50 years in which to mitigate the effects of climate change, says Thomas Sterner, a professor of environmental economics at Sweden's Gothenburg University.
2012-01-12 CNBC Africa/ABN, South Africa: "Fuel Taxes on the Poor with Author Thomas Sterner" http://www.abndigital.com/page/multimedia/video/beyond-markets/1139380-Fuel-Taxes-on-the-Poor-with-Author-Thomas-Sterner
In light of the Fuel Subsidy Strike action happening in Nigeria which is a potentially crippling factor to the country, considering that all gas and oil production has been ordered to shut down by Sunday. ABN takes a more comprehensive look at the effect of Fuel taxes on the poor and to take up this discussion we are joined in our Cape Town studios by Thomas Sterner, Professor of Environmental Economics in Gothenburg & Washington.
The TV-show (7.10 minutes) was broadcasted via cable throughout Africa and in England.
About the show, called Beyond Market: "As the markets in Africa close we look at the issues behind the news that drives the markets, speaking to leaders, experts and newsmakers around the continent."
News reports from Sweden:
2012-01-12 Sveriges Radio Vetenskapsradion Klotet: "Vansinne subventionera bensin i ett land där folk dör av brist på rent vatten"/ Världen gav sex gånger mer subventioner till olja, kol och gas 2010 än till förnyelsebar energi http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=3345&artikel=4902480
2012-01-11 Sveriges Radio P1 Vetenskapsradion, Nyheter, Vetenskap & Miljö: Statlig rea på bensin ger ökade klimatutsläpp http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=406&artikel=4900660
Thomas Sterner intervjuas om det fördubblade bensinpriset i Nigeria, och om slutsatserna i sin nya bok Fuel Taxes and the Poor, The Distributional Effects of Gasoline Taxation and Their Implications for Climate Policy.
2011-11-29 Svenska Dagbladet: Bensinskatten slår inte mot fattiga (in Swedish only)
Bensinskatt är den enda metod som hittills lett till att halten koldioxid i atmosfären minskar. Enligt ny forskning stämmer inte påståendet att människor med minst pengar drabbas hårdast. En rapport visar att bensinskatten slår hårdast mot dem som tjänar mest i Kina, Indien, USA och 22 länder till. I Sverige är bensinskatten neutral
2011-11-29 Sveriges Radio P1 Morgon: Höjd bensinskatt drabbar inte fattiga hårdare än de rika (in Swedish only)
Ny forskning visar nu att påståendet om att höjd bensinskatt i första hand drabbar de människor med minst pengar hårdast, inte stämmer. Bland andra Thomas Sterner, professor i miljöekonomi vid Handelshögskolan i Göteborg har kommit fram till att en höjning av bensinskatten är neutral i relation till människors inkomster. Diskussion mellan Thomas Sterner och Maria Spetz, VD Motormännens riksförbund.