PERTAMINA WELCOMES FOREIGN COMPETITORS

Jakarta, Jan 31 (ANTARA)- The state-owned oil/gas company PT Pertamina's president director Ari H. Sumarno said his company has no objection if foreign oil producers haa interest to enter Indonesian market as good competitors.

"We welcome foreign competitors' wish (to come)," Ari said here over the weekend, adding the competitors would create the so-called leveled playing field to Pertamina.

"We are not against competitors, but, we even hail other oil business players to jointly distribute Indonesian subsidized fuel oil," he said.

Many people opined that no one can compete Pertamina's business in the country because the company has since tens of years ago built complete infrastructure.

Regarding the point of oil infrastructure, Airlangga Hartarto, chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VII chairman confirmed that logically none of oil companies can build oil infrastructure in a short time.

According to him, the requirement to have the leveled competitors as big as Pertamina is actually relative, thus any competitor who would come to Indonesia could be smaller.
In the meantime, an oil observer Ikhsan Modjo said despite Pertamina's ability to have built the infrastructure, ideally any competitor could enter into the country's oil business.

"For instance, the oil competitors can use Pertamina's infrastructure provide that they pay for the infrastructure use," Ikhsan added. ***2***
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