"The government should conduct an evaluation and assessment as part of the efforts to reduce the price of gas," a coordinator of gas industry for the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Achmad Widjaja, said here on Tuesday.
According to Widjaja, the Kadin has urged the government to evaluate the distribution price charged by pipeline owners in a bid to reduce the price of gas.
Meanwhile, a member of Commission VII, Dito Ganinduto, asked the government to lower the price of gas to increase the competitiveness of the national industry.
"Today, the price of gas in Indonesia is much higher than in the neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore," Ganinduto said.
He said bringing gas prices down could involve a series of steps, including reducing fuel prices and electricity tariffs.
"The government should assist the industry by lowering energy prices at a time when economic conditions are unstable. Consequently, the national industry should also ensure that workers services are not terminated," he said.
He said that the current price of industrial gas in Indonesia is around US$9-10 per Million Metric British Thermal Unit (MMBTU)
Compared to this, the industrial gas price in other ASEAN countries, such as Singapore, is US$4-5 per MMBTU.
In Malaysia, the price per MMBTU of industrial gas is US$4.47, in the Philippines US$5.43 and in Vietnam US$7.5.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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