Indonesia will increase oil price from Oct. 1 at a range of 30 to 60 percent, in an effort to adjust spiraling global oil price and to defend the country's currency from US dollar, Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said here Wednesday.

"He (vice president) said the rise could be more than that (30 percent), may be 50 percent or 60 percent," Chairman of Indonesian Church Union Andreas Yuwangoe told reporters after meeting with the vice president at the vice presidential office here.

Kalla said the subsidy for the oil sector had been mounted to 130 trillion rupiah (13 billion US dollar), according to Yuwangoe.

Indonesia's rupiah weakened to a four year low against US dollar last week due to the rise of global oil price.

Security Minister Widodo AS said to anticipate the possible reaction of the hike, the government is preparing for the acts.

"We are aware that the decision (to increase prices) will create a reaction from the people in the form of protests," he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

The government has pledged to provide direct cash payments to millions of poor families as compensation of the plan.

The hike of oil price is a sensitive political issue in the country with over 220 million people. Riots caused by the price hike in 1998 contributed to the collapse of former President Suharto.

Source: Xinhua