Govt plans to lower gas price for industries

The government plans to lower the price of gas for industries as part of measures to help revive investment amid the current slowdown in the country?s economy, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Monday.

The paper quoted Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said as saying that to help lower the gas price, distribution chain will be shortened, cut down the number of middlemen, and build infrastructure.

?The government also plans to reduce the government?s (revenue) portion so that gas price can be lowered,? he said.

Sudirman is confident that a lower gas price will eventually reduce electricity price as several power plants of state-owned electricity firm PT PLN are gas-fired.

He, however, did not disclose as to when the gas price will be cut down and the size of the price reduction. (*)