Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JAKARTA6648
2006-05-26 08:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

INDONESIA COPES WITH HIGH OIL PRICES

Tags:  EPET ENRG EINV PREL ID 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8811
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #6648/01 1460826
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260826Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4821
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 9811
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9507
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3447
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 JAKARTA 006648 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS AND EB/ESC/IEC
DEPT PASS OPIC, EXIM, TDA
DOE FOR CUTLER/PI-32 AND NAKANO/PI-42
COMMERCE FOR USDOC 4430

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET ENRG EINV PREL ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA COPES WITH HIGH OIL PRICES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 JAKARTA 006648

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS AND EB/ESC/IEC
DEPT PASS OPIC, EXIM, TDA
DOE FOR CUTLER/PI-32 AND NAKANO/PI-42
COMMERCE FOR USDOC 4430

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET ENRG EINV PREL ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA COPES WITH HIGH OIL PRICES


1. (SBU) Summary. The Government of Indonesia's (GOI)
October 2005 decision to slash fuel subsidies has better
positioned Indonesia's economy to withstand the
macroeconomic pressures from sustained high global fuel
prices. Domestic fuel consumption, and very likely illegal
smuggling of subsidized fuel, has fallen substantially since
October 2005. These changes were sufficient to return
Indonesia to net oil exporter status by the fourth quarter
of 2005. Indonesia now benefits, if just slightly, from
global oil prices in the USD 60-70 per barrel (bbl) range.
Nonetheless, Ministry of Finance (MOF) budget simulations
predict the FY 2006 budget deficit will swell from 0.7 to
about 1.3 percent of GDP if oil prices remain at or below
USD 70/bbl due to higher than expected domestic interest
rates, lower than expected oil production, and an increase
in subsidy spending. Should international oil prices rise
significantly above USD 70/bbl for an extended period of
time, the resulting gap between Indonesia's domestic fuel
prices and prices in neighboring countries could reignite
large-scale fuel smuggling and put additional pressure on
the budget. Although international oil prices have far
exceeded the USD 57/bbl level specified in the budget for
much of 2006, we see no signs the Yudhoyono Administration
is contemplating another fuel subsidy cut in 2006. This
cable uses an exchange rate of Rp. 9180 = 1 USD. End
summary.

October 2005 Fuel Price Hikes Provide Cushion
--------------


2. (U) On October 1, 2005 the GOI hiked subsidized fuel
prices by an average 126 percent. In the third quarter of
2005 before raising prices, Asia's only OPEC member had
fallen into net-importer status (as measured by volume) due
to almost a decade of declining production and steadily
increasing domestic demand as the country recovered from the
1997-98 financial crisis. Since that bold decision,
Indonesia has seen domestic fuel consumption, and very
likely illegal smuggling, of subsidized fuel fall. The
electric power industry has also begun to diversify away

from fuel oil for power generation toward increased use of
coal and natural gas. These changes were sufficient to
return Indonesia once again to net exporter status on a
volume basis by the fourth quarter of 2005. On a dollar-
value basis Indonesia is still a net importer, but the
deficit has shrunk dramatically (see tables 1 and 2).


3. (SBU) Petroleum imports fell from a high of 19 million
bbl in August 2005 to just 11.7 million bbl in November
2005, a drop of 38 percent. Domestic fuel consumption fell
23 percent during that same time period. One likely
explanation for the significant disparity between the
magnitude of the declines in fuel imports and consumption is
that fuel smuggling accounted for much of the difference.
By our calculations, at its highest point smuggling may have
amounted to as much as 2.9 million bbl/month at a monthly
cost of USD 165 million under the GOI budgetary assumption
of USD 57/bbl of oil.


4. (SBU) The dollar value of petroleum imports has also
fallen significantly on a month-to-month basis. August 2005
saw a record import bill of USD 2 billion, which fell to USD
1 billion by January 2006. Net imports have averaged only
USD 273 million during the first three months of 2006, 59
percent below the monthly average for the same period in
2005 and about five percent below 2004 figures, when
international oil prices averaged USD 36/bbl.

-------------- --------------
Table 1: Monthly Trade of Crude Oil
and Refined Products
-------------- --------------
(Volume in 1,000 barrels, Value in USD million)

Month Exports Imports
Volume Value Volume Value
-------------- --------------
2004 avg 20,322 684 25,300 970
2005 avg 15,595 770 13,882 902

Aug. 2005 14,272 916 19,018 2,031

JAKARTA 00006648 002 OF 004


Sep. 2005 14,542 923 17,390 1,773
Oct. 2005 14,261 913 15,010 1,528
Nov. 2005 15,161 826 11,700 1,222
Dec. 2005 17,955 967 13,878 1,305
Jan. 2006 - 951 - 1,084
Feb. 2006 - 831 - 1,207
Mar. 2006 - 900 - 1,211


Source: Bank Indonesia (BI),Directorate General of Oil and
Gas (MIGAS),and Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS)


--------------
Table 2: Net Petroleum Exports
--------------
(Volume in 1,000 barrels, Value in USD million)

Month Net Exports
Volume Value
--------------
2004 avg (2,394) (287)
2005 avg 1,713 (132)

Aug. 2005 (4,746) (1,115)
Sep. 2005 (2,848) (850)
Oct. 2005 (749) (616)
Nov. 2005 3,461 (395)
Dec. 2005 4,077 (339)
Jan. 2006 - (132)
Feb. 2006 - (376)
Mar. 2006 - (311)

Source: BI, MIGAS, and BPS


Indonesians Still Get Bargain Gas
--------------


5. (U) Even after the October 2005 price hikes, Indonesian
consumers still enjoy significantly lower prices at the pump
compared with most of their neighbors (Table 3).
Indonesians currently pay the equivalent of USD 1.93 per
gallon for unleaded gasoline, compared with USD 4.13 per
gallon in Singapore and USD 2.90 in the U.S.

--------------
Table 3: Retail Petrol Prices
--------------
(Prices per liter in USD as of April 28, 2006.)

Country Unleaded Gas Diesel

Indonesia 0.51 0.49
Philippines 0.75 0.67
Singapore 1.08 0.87
Thailand 0.74 0.69
Malaysia 0.53 0.44

Sources: BI, Pertamina, ExxonMobil


High Oil Prices: Slightly Positive for Budget
--------------


6. (SBU) Government expenditures for subsidized fuel are
creeping up once again as Indonesia and the world grapple
with sustained high price levels for oil. For now, however,
increased oil revenues still more than match the increased
outlays. With crude oil prices topping USD 70/bbl, the MOF
projects fuel subsidy spending will increase to Rp 68.3
trillion (USD 7.44 billion) in 2006, an increase of Rp 14
trillion (USD 1.53 billion) over budgeted figures. However,
the Ministry of Finance (MOF) believes high oil prices have
a slightly positive effect on the budget, though they
caution the relationship is not linear. They estimate the
size of the net gain at Rp 200 billion or USD 22 million
(plus or minus a variance of Rp 0.1 trillion or USD 11
million) per every one-dollar increase in the international
oil price.


JAKARTA 00006648 003 OF 004



7. (SBU) According to the MOF, Indonesia gains Rp 3.6
trillion (USD 392 million) from each one-dollar increase in
international oil prices in tax and non-tax (royalty)
revenues. At the same time, budget expenditures rise by Rp
3.4 trillion (USD 370 million),broken down as follows:

--Rp 2.3 trillion (USD 251 million) for increased fuel
subsidy costs;
--Rp 0.6 trillion (USD 65 million) for revenue sharing with
the provincial and local governments;
--Rp 0.6 trillion for increased electricity subsidies
necessary to compensate state electricity company PLN for
the higher cost of diesel for power generation.

Under MOF projections of sustained global prices at USD 60,
65 or 70/bbl, MOF believes it can maintain the budget
deficit at an easily manageable 1.3 percent of GDP level.


8. (SBU) The MOF's projection rests heavily on Pertamina's
willingness and ability to pay approximately Rp 16 trillion
(USD 1.74 billion) in non-tax oil and gas revenues from 2005
currently in arrears. Pertamina has also not forwarded an
undetermined amount of its 2005 tax obligations to the GOI,
according to a MOF tax official. (Note: Two can play this
game. The MOF has also not reimbursed Pertamina for an
estimated Rp 15 trillion, or USD 1.63 billion, in subsidy
payments due in the first quarter of 2006.) The World Bank
and private sector analysts do not anticipate any large
negative impact on reserves or the rupiah from current fuel
prices. The Indonesia IMF office estimates informally that
while current global fuel prices are fairly budget neutral,
if they rise to USD 80/bbl or more for a sustained period,
the impact on Indonesia's budget would start to turn
negative (assuming no change in subsidy policy).

Resumed Smuggling a Risk
--------------


9. (SBU) Should the gap between Indonesia's domestic fuel
prices and those of its neighbors grow large enough,
increasing oil prices have the potential to rekindle oil
smuggling, which could force the MOF to revisit its current
budget scenario. The wholesale gasoline price in Indonesia
is now USD 1.68 per gallon, whereas the spot price in
Singapore was USD 2.16 per gallon on May 5, offering only a
maximum 29 percent potential profit margin to would-be
smugglers. In August 2005, a period of likely high levels
of smuggling, the gap between wholesale prices in Singapore
and Indonesia was 48 percent. An additional concern is the
possibility for rising internal smuggling--since July 2005,
Pertamina has sold diesel and gasoline to industrial users
at market rates, currently an average of 25 percent above
the subsidized prices at the company's retail gas stations.
There are already indications that sales of diesel to
industry are falling rapidly at the same time that sales of
subsidized diesel have risen back to their pre-price hike
levels. The GOI decision in early May to permit large
fishing vessels (over 30 gross tons) to have increased
access to subsidized fuel makes international smuggling all
the more easy, which in turn has the potential to put some
additional pressure on the budget.

INDONESIA'S FUTURE WITH HIGH PRICED OIL
--------------


10. (SBU) Despite some risks, Indonesia is much better
positioned to ride out the current sustained high world oil
prices than it was during the first shock in August 2005,
which led to a sharp rupiah sell-off. Private and public
sector economists agree that Indonesia will likely begin to
experience difficulties if world oil prices reach USD 80/bbl
or higher for sustained periods of time. At current levels
of consumption, however, it would take a world price of USD
92/bbl before Indonesia faces the same fiscal drain as it
did before the October 2005 decision to cut back fuel
subsidies, according to a well-respected Singapore-based
economist. (Note: This estimate does not account for
possibly large increases in fuel smuggling at that price
level.)


11. (SBU) The GOI is continuing to look for ways to cut

JAKARTA 00006648 004 OF 004


fuel use even further than present levels, though none show
much promise. State Minister for National Development
Planning and National Development Planning Board chairman
Paskah Suzetta proposed limiting fuel use by private and
state vehicles, based on engine sizes, presumably to
penalize wealthy SUV drivers. Other political figures have
proposed restricting cars from using the roads certain days
of the week based on odd or even license tag numbers.

Comment
--------------


12. (SBU) GOI economic officials uniformly tell us that
President Yudhoyono has ruled out any increase in the price
of subsidized fuels or electricity tariffs until at least
2007 even with the sustained high levels of world petroleum
prices. Nonetheless, the GOI will likely use the upcoming
July budget revision to begin the delicate process of
socializing the Indonesian public to the continuing high
cost of subsidized fuel, even with the bitter pill of the
October 2005 cuts still fresh in the public's mind. Should
further increases in international oil prices force the GOI
to look seriously at another price hike, we expect the GOI
to seek to obtain formal Parliamentary approval via the FY
2007 budget process, which will commence in August 2006.
Given current economic conditions in Indonesia, this would
likely be a very tough sell.

PASCOE