Pertamina urged not to raise LPG price

State oil and gas firm Pertamina has been urged to delay its plan of raising the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) so it would not face another class action by consumers.

The chairwoman of Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YPKI), Indah Sukmaningsih, said on Wednesday Pertamina should improve the management of its LPG business so it could minimize its losses, instead of increasing the price of the commodity.

Indah said irregularities had been rampant in the distribution of LPG. Many consumers had found that LPG tubes were not filled up to the full, she added.

?If consumers reject LPG price increase and want another class action against Pertamina, YLKI will be ready to support them,? Indah told reporters after speaking in a seminar on liberalization in the country?s oil and gas industry.

Indah was commenting on reports that Pertamina had planned to raise the price of LPG by 25 percent to Rp 2,650 per kilogram to enable the firm to reach break event point.

Pertamina said recently it suffered a loss of around Rp 900 billion per year (US$=Rp9,600)

YLKI led a class action against Pertamina one year ago after the firm raised the price of LPG. The company responded by revising the price of the commodity. (Leo)