Pertamina inviting the public to open gas stations

Pertamina is now inviting the public to invest in gas stations in areas they consider to be feasible and economical, Neraca daily reported on Tuesday.

The offer was announced by the head of Pertamina's Domestic Marketing and Storage Unit III that covers Jakarta, West Java and Banten, Tuty Anggrahini on Monday.

Tuti said every Indonesian citizen has the rights to invest in gas stations, as long as they obtained a principal license from local administrations and meet requirements set by Pertamina.

However, for the sake of equality, each individual may own not more than two gas stations, while a legal entity such a limited liability company and a cooperative may own not more than five gas stations.

As for individuals, however, family members may open their own gas stations, therefore one family may own more than two stations, under different names of the family members.

Nevertheless, for family member under certain age, their ownership must be represented by another name, who is eligible to have a gas station.

Tuti's statement was in response to a Neraca news that Megawati's grandchild -- the child of Megawati's daughter Puan Maharani -- was making a proposal to build a gas station. But it is not clear where the gas station is located.

Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas is known to be a gas station businessman. (*)