YOGYA, KRJOGJA.com – The Head of the Center for Small-Scale Economics and Industry Studies, Institute of Research and Community Service (LPPM) of UPN Veteran Yogyakarta, Ardito Bhinadi, assessed that the action of promising online transportation rates must be banned in Indonesia for breaking the fairness and market balance and potentially triggering unfair business competition.

"KPPU should act quickly if it is proven that there is an ojol (online transportation) company carrying out a predatory pricing strategy; the punishment should not only be a light fine. The company must be prohibited from operating until they are willing to comply with the applicable regulations and apply fair business competition behavior," he said.

He assessed that the application of severe punishment is needed because light penalty will not make a deterrent effect on the perpetrators. Moreover, the fines paid are relatively very small compared to the long-term benefits obtained by the company.

"The punishment for the operational cessation will be more rational and make a deterrent effect so that the business will stop, then it is threatened to close the business," he said.

Ardhito explained that this condition would create a predatory pricing or a strategy commonly used by a company that wants to penetrate the market and dominate the market or monopoly. This strategy certainly must be supported by strong and large capital. Even if the strategy is implemented, it will endanger the ojol market.

"Other companies are going to close. After other companies are eliminated or acquired, the company will slowly raise the rate. The costumers are forced to continuely use the services because there are no more options," said Ardito.

Therefore, he considered that KPPU must act quickly and make the right decisions so that the market is not more damaged or distorted by the existence of unhealthy business behavior that one of the market participants does. The market or fair price of ojol rates is difficult to achieve because people are already accustomed to subsidies, pay very cheaply beyond reason.

"So it will be difficult to revoke the excessive promos or subsidies. As a result, there will be a chaos when subsidies or rates are applied normally. This is what we call a business actor is not educating the costumers, if the promo war continues. The community's market and social order can be damaged”, he said.

Separately, the Chairperson of the Online Ojek Driver Communication Forum, Muhammad Rahman Tohir, said that the promotion rate would help the costumers, but by the time it would harm the driver partners so that it would be better eliminated.

"Drivers had been quite happy with the regulation of online motorcycle taxi which regulates the lower and upper limit rates”. He continued, “There is no solution until now because there are still problems with promising promos."

In order to overcome this problem, he hoped the government would intervene in regulating the rates until there is promo restrictions imposed. (*)

https://krjogja.com/web/news/read/100607/Tarif_Promo_Jorjoran_KPPU_Harus_Turun_Tangan

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