Government to require fuel stations to build gas dispensers

Petromindo

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan is set to soon issue a new ministerial regulation requiring fuel refill stations in certain areas particularly those located near gas working area to build gas dispensers.

Director General of Oil and Gas at the ministry IGN Wiratmaja Puja said on Monday that the new policy is expected to help encourage motorists to switch to gas as part of efforts to help accelerate the government?s fuel oil to gas conversion program.

Wiratmaja said that the new regulation will also arrange the profit margins for the owners of the fuel refill stations from the gas retail business.

He said that the gas can be channeled to the fuel refill stations either via pipeline or mobile refueling unit.

Most motorists in the country are using fuel oil, instead of gas, due among others to the limited number of gas refill stations. The government is determined to push for more consumption of gas as part of efforts to cut down dependency on the pricey fuel oil and create a cleaner environment. IGN said that the development of gas refill stations in the country has been quite slow, pointing that there is no plan to build gas refill stations this year. (*)