"Please build synergy with PLN. If the synergy can be developed together it would improve welfare of the people because it would reduce electricity and fuel oil cost and make it efficient," the minister said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - State owned energy companies and electricity firm PLN should build synergy to boost efficiency and improve peoples lives, State-owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Rini Soemarno has said.

"Please build synergy with PLN. If the synergy can be developed together it would improve welfare of the people because it would reduce electricity and fuel oil cost and make it efficient," the SOE minister said during a Pertamina Energy Forum 2016 in Jakarta on Tuesday.

To create energy resilience, energy SOEs should cooperate with other state companies and private businesses.

"In the production of electricity, there are power generators that use fuels and gas. All this must be built with a synergy so that transportation cost will be lower, and primary energy production (cost) will go down. For state-owned oil firm Pertamina, it would make it efficient if purchases are made with a long-term contract," she said.

The minister encouraged Pertamina to develop domestic energy sources, exploit domestic oil reserves, be committed to developing renewable energy, and make overseas business expansion with mature calculations.

Rini also advised Pertamina not be complacent with its past achievements but continue to improve performance in the future.

"If now it is included in the worlds big five, Pertamina is expected to be included in the worlds big three in the future," she said.

The minister said the plan to form holding companies, one for state energy companies and the other for state mining companies, before the end of this year may not fructify, and may have to be delayed until early next year.

According to the plan, Pertamina will be the holding company for energy companies Pertamina and Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN), while aluminum smelter company PT Inalum in North Sumatra will be the holding company for PT Inalum, coal miner PT Bukit Asam, tin miner PT Timah and multifarious mining company PT Aneka Tambang.

"We hope to establish the two holding companies before the end of this year but if it is delayed it would be brought to reality in the first quarter of 2017," Rini said here on Saturday.

On the sidelines of the ceremony celebrating the 59th anniversary of PT Pertamina, Rini said work on setting up the two holding companies is in the final phase.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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