President reiterates demand for lower gas price for industries
Wednesday, January 25 2017 - 01:04 AM WIB
Jokowi, during a limited cabinet meeting, demanded from Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan and Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto the progress report on the implementation of Presidential Regulation No 40/2016 on lower gas price for the selected industries.
?I demand report from Minister of Industry and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources about the implementation of the Presidential Regulation No 40/2016 on lower gas price. Are there obstacles in the field (in lowering gas price) particularly for the seven industries?? he said in a statement issued by the Cabinet Secretary following the meeting.
He acknowledged that he has received information that gas price for three industries including fertilizer, petrochemical and steel has been lowered. He urged the ministers to move to also lower gas price for the other four industries including ceramics, oleo chemical, glass, and rubber gloves.
Jokowi stressed that gas must not be merely considered as commodity but should also be treated as capital for development that could help improve the competitiveness of the country?s industrial products in the global market.
The president issued Presidential Regulation No 40/2016 in May of last year in a bid to lower gas price for the selected industries so as not to exceed US$6 per mmbtu. Progress in implementing the policy, however, has been moving at a snail?s pace.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak