PNG Wants Equitable Distribution Of Gas Across Indonesia

Jakarta, Feb 20 (Antara) - State-owned gas distributor company PT PGN hopes that all gas companies in Indonesia will build gas infrastructural facilities across the country so that the natural resource can be distributed equitably. "We hope that there will be mutual understanding between gas companies to build gas infrastructure evenly across the country so that equitable utilization of gas can be achieved," PGN President Director Hendi Prio Santoso noted in a press statement, here on Thursday. According to Hendi, he has raised the matter during his meeting with Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, at the City Hall. Hendi pointed out that gas infrastructure facilities were badly needed in Jakarta and particularly in regions across Indonesia, in an effort to reduce the country`s burden as a result of fuel imports. "Dependence on fuel imports has so far cut the country`s foreign exchange reserves and increased its trade deficit. It has also increased the burden of energy subsidy in the state budget," Hendi remarked. In his meeting with the Jakarta governor, Hendi explained that out of the 60 gas companies in Indonesia, PGN is the only one that has built a pipeline network in Jakarta. PGN has committed to increase infrastructure development in Jakarta. "The infrastructural facilities built by PGN aim to provide services across all segment of consumers, namely household, industry and small scale businesses such as meat ball stalls, restaurants and gas for transportation," the PGN President Director noted. He pointed out that at present PGN had 13.9 thousand customers in Jakarta. Of that, 13.5 thousand were small scale businesses and household customers. PGN distributes 95 million cubic feet of gas ever day or equal to 2.7 million liters of fuels to customers in Jakarta. The distribution of gas through the pipeline network also helps reduce traffic jam because they are not transported by trucks. "If we use tank trucks with a capacity of 10 thousand liters each, we will need 270 trucks which will worsen traffic woes," he elaborated. He added that PGN now has a pipeline network of about 6 thousand km stretching from Sumatra and Java islands, where PGN distributes gas to over 100 thousand customers. "Of the 100 thousand customers, about 98 thousand are household customers and commercial stalls such as meatball soup stalls, pempek and other small businesses," Hendi explained.