Govt ready to revise PTBA?s coal transportation tariff
Wednesday, January 8 2003 - 04:04 AM WIB
The readiness to revise the current tariff agreement was unveiled by Deputy of State Minister for Supervision of State Owned Enterprises Roes Ariawijaya after meeting non-governmental organizations ? Indonesia Railway Watch (IRW), YLKI customers foundation and Maska railway society.
In the meeting, the NGOs questioned the implementation of the new coal tariff regulation which has caused PT KAI to reduce the coal transportation from PTBA?s mining site to Tarahan as its protest to the new tariff formula.
PT KAI which earlier demanded to increase the tariff to Rp 45,000 per ton from the current Rp 25,000 per ton agreed to lower its tariff increase demand to Rp 37,000 per ton on the condition that the tariff is set flat without being linked to the volume of the coal being transported. PTBA however refused the request and the company instead proposed a new scheme in which the tariff is set fully at Rp 37,000 per ton only if the volume of the coal transported reach at least 8.5 million tons a year. If the volume of coal transported is less than 8.5 million tons a year, the tariff should be set lower. According to PT KAI, with the price formula proposed by PTBA, the coal actual tariff would be even lower than the current rate of Rp 25,000 per ton.
"The people should understand that the establishment of the special railway track to transport coal is an integral part of the development of the Suralaya steam power plant in Merak, Banten," Taufik said while expressing his concern over the refusal of PT KAI to implement the new tariff which has received endorsement from State Minister for Supervision of State Owned Enterprises.
PTBA relies on the state owned railway operation in transporting its coal from its Tanjung Enim mining site. Most of the company?s coal is transported by trains to a coal terminal in Tarahan, Lampung before being shipped to buyers including state electricity company PLN?s subsidiary Suralaya power plant. (*)