PGN build gas connections to 21,000 houses in Tarakan

The government through the ministry of energy and mineral resources assigned IDX-listed state owned gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk (PGN) to build gas connections to 21,000 houses in Tarakan, North Kalimantan province.

PGN?s Director Dilo Seno Widagdo said in a statement on Wednesday the gas connections will be built in six sub-districts of the city, namely Kampung 1 Skip, Gunung Lingkas, Karang Anyar, Pamusian, and Selumit.

At present, the firm has 3,366 household customers in the city. Once the project has been completed, the firm will have 24,336 household customers in the city.

The government has provided Rp 225 billion for PGN to build gas connections in various parts of the country, including Tarakan, Surabaya (24,000 gas connections) and Batam (4000 gas connections), Dilo said.

At present, Tarakan?s residents mostly rely on LPG produced by Malaysian firm Petronas Bhd for cooking. As a matter of fact, state owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina has also distributed subsidized LPG in 3-kg container in the city, but the product is difficult to find on the market. ?

?I?ve been living in Tarakan for four years, but I use LGP carrying Petronas brand.? Three-kg LPG (produced by Pertamina) is difficult to find,? Adi Sudarwaman, a Tarakan citizen, said.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon