IN the past two weeks, the rupiah which has been fiercely protected by the central bank, finally plummeted. In the past two days, the dollar has set a new record twice, a result of the market’s disappointment with the government’s energy policy.

During debates on the budget with the House of Representatives (DPR) in August, the fuel subsidy was estimated to reach Rp138.6 trillion. As a result, the national deficit will almost double