"The price of fuel from Sabang to Merauke and from Miangas to Rote Island will be the same. People can buy fuel at affordable prices," the minister remarked.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said that the governments one-price fuel policy will be effectively implemented in 2017.

"The one-price fuel policy will be effectively implemented from next year. The government will make clear rules," Jonan said here on Friday.

The minister stated that the policy was an extraordinary breakthrough.

"The price of fuel from Sabang to Merauke and from Miangas to Rote Island will be the same. People can buy fuel at affordable prices," the minister remarked.

Jonan will immediately issue a ministerial regulation as the legal umbrella of the one-price fuel policy.

The regulations and the technical guidelines will be made fairly.

"Should the business entities build gas stations outside Java? It is not fair if they just build gas stations only in Java or the densely populated areas," the minister stated.

The minister pointed out that the one-price fuel policy was not only applied in the state-run oil and gas producer Pertamina but also in other business entities.

Based on Presidential Regulation No.191/2014, the ministrys oil and gas director general IGN Wiratmaja Puja said that the government commissioned Pertamina to supply the fuel at a fixed price during distribution.

The government will bear the cost of the fuel, including the supply, storage and distribution.

Regarding high fuel prices in Papua, he noted, that there was an uneven distribution of the fuel.

"As a result, the fuel was redistributed by traders and then sold to the people," he said.

Therefore, the government urged Pertamina to increase its fuel distribution in an attempt to sell the fuel at affordable prices.

"By doing so, the distribution costs will increase," he said.

Puja stated that Pertamina would calculate the cost of fuel distribution in every region.

"The state-owned oil and gas company will increase fuel distribution gradually to sell the fuel at one price," he remarked.

During his visit to Yahukimo, Papua, on October 18, President Joko Widodo launched the one-price fuel policy in Papua and West Papua in an attempt to create social justice in the region.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016