Jakarta, March 19 -- The Indonesian government has reassured the public that subsidized fuel prices will remain unchanged despite global oil prices hovering above $100 per barrel.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said the government would absorb the impact of rising energy prices through the state budget to avoid burdening consumers.

"We are absorbing the pressure into the state budget. If we let it pass through, people could panic as seen in other countries," he told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said Indonesia's energy subsidy mechanism is structured within an annual budget framework, allowing the government to anticipate the impact of global oil price fluctuations.

The government has a...