Pertamina receives 1,400 applications to establish new gas stations

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina has so far received 1,400 applications to open new gas stations. The companies responded to the government?s online offer to the public since December 2005, the Investor Daily Indonesia reported in its Wednesday edition.

?This is far above our expectation. Generally, receiving applications for 100 gas stations in one year is already good,? Pertamina?s head of the oil department Djaelani Soetomo told the Investor Daily said on Tuesday.

According to Djaelani, until yesterday, Pertamina had approved 300 requests to become Pertamina?s partners in establishing new gas stations. According to the plan, these 300 gas stations will be built in entire Indonesia, around 60 percent in Surabaya and Jakarta.

Pertamina gives its approval after a survey of the location and a feasible test of the applicant to become a partner. After that, the applicant must obtain permits from the local authorities.

In order to build a gas station, one should have Rp 1 billion to 5 billion investment and 1,000 square meter land in a strategic location.

As far as the Pertamina?s target is concerned, it may not be possible to approve all the requests this year and it is going to surpass the target.

?Previously, we have set a target of establishing just 700 gas stations in 2006. but the number of approved gas stations already reached 300 though in just few months of this year,? Djaelani said. (*)