"I have been given figures for gas prices . I only want the price to be cut by the end of this year," Jokowi said when addressing "Kompas 100 CEO Forum" here on Thursday.
The president said industrial gas in neighboring countries are around US$4-US$6 per MMBTU, but in Indoensia the prices are from US$9-US$12 per MMBTU.
"If they can we should also can. My order is as simple as that," he said, adding difficult order could be confusing.
The plan to cut the price of gas was already discussed in a limited cabinet meeting headed by the president early last month. At that meeting the president said the gas price should be reduced that the domestic industry would be competitive.
The president indicated that it was an irony , saying," we have large gas reserves while Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore have to import gas."
Indonesian products with gas as feed stock or produced with gas as fuel like fertilizers , petrochemicals, ceramics and textiles are feared to be not competitive.
"We must not lose in competition only because our gas is too expensive," Jokowi said. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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