Total plans to open 50 fuel retail outlets

PT Total Oil Indonesia, a downstream subsidiary of French oil giant Total SA, will open up to 50 fuel stations in Indonesia as part of the company?s long-term program to benefit from the country?s growing fuel demand.

"We have a long-term plan to open 50 fuel retail outlets in the country. But we cannot unveil yet the details of the expansion plan,? the company?s brand & communication executive Rulianti Syahrul told Bisnis Indonesia on Monday.

Rulianti said that three fuel stations would be opened in Jakarta this year to add the existing five fuel retail outlets in the capital. The five retail outlets are located in Jl. Daan Mogot, Jl. MT Haryono, Jl. Warung Buncit, BSD and Modern Land housing complexes in Tangerang.

In addition to Total, Shell Indonesia, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Malaysia?s Petronas have also opened retail outlets in Indonesia after the government in 2005 ended state-owned Pertamina?s monopoly on fuel sales.

The overseas players currently only sell non-subsidized gasoline and diesel oil. Pertamina remains the major distributor of the subsidized fuel, which accounts for about 80 percent of the fuel supply? (*)