Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government will begin collecting an energy security fund from premium gasoline and diesel oil sold in the market from next year, a minister has said.

"This policy is based on Law No. 30/2007 on energy which gives us a mandate to create an equilibrium in the management of fossil energy to move towards renewable energy," Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said said at a press briefing after a plenary cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office here on Wednesday.

Next year, the government will collect Rp300 from every liter of premium gasoline and Rp200 from every liter of premium gasoline as part of the efforts to implement article 30 of Law No 30/2007 on energy.

The law makes it mandatory for the government to levy a premium on fossil energy as part of the efforts to develop new renewable energy resources, he said.

The fee is in line with the evaluation of fuel oil prices which will be corrected from January 6, he said.

Starting January 5, 2016, the price of gasoline will be lowered to Rp7,150 from Rp7,300 per liter and the price of diesel oil will be slashed to Rp5,650 from Rp6,700 per liter.

The new prices already include the energy security fee of Rp200 per liter for premium gasoline and Rp300 per liter for diesel oil.

"This way, we will hopefully be able to lower prices and collect funds to ensure energy security," he said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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