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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Presidential spokesman Andi Malarangeng refuted an Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) analysis that due to the recent domestic fuel oil price hikes the number of poor people in the country would increase by 41.7 million or 21.92 percent.

"According to studies conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) and the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), the number of poor people will decline because of the government`s direct cash assistance (BLT) policy," Malarangeng said at the State Palace here on Thursday.

The outcome of the LIPI analysis which was released on Wednesday indicated that the domestic fuel oil price hikes would raise the number of poor people to 41.7 million or 21.92 percent.

Without BLT, LIPI said, the figure would probably reach 53.7 million or 28.64 percent.

"Let`s wait and see the results of the BLT program later because without the policy, the number of poor will obviously increase," Malarangeng said.

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