Govt to issue new regulation on energy saving

The government will issue a regulation on energy conservation next week to force people to use fuel and power efficiently, the Kompas newspaper reported in its Friday edition.

The planned regulation will restrict the consumption of fuel and power by industries, households, transportation, public and government facilities, commercial as well entertainment establishments.

?This (new regulation) will be expected to reduce around 10 percent of fuel consumption so that the target of 59.6 million kiloliters set by the government and the House of Representatives can be reached,? Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Thursday while addressing Young Indonesian Entrepreneurs Association in Jakarta.

The government, according to Kalla, will not just advise and urge the people to save energy, but will instruct and order them to take the measures and implement the new regulation.

He mentioned that the government would raise the price of automotive diesel oil for mining industry and vehicle taxes. It will also ban cars with an engine capacity of above 2,500 cc from using subsidized fuel, forcing them to use the higher quality Pertamax fuel, which is not subsidized by the government.

The government will ask television stations to cut their broadcasting hours. Shopping malls and night entertainment places will be asked to close earlier. The government building managements and households will be asked to save electricity.

Separately, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said his ministry, Pertamina, PLN and Jakarta administration would jointly formulate the reglation.(*)