"Import dropped by 4,000 kiloliters per day as compared to that in the January-August 2018 period," he said after attending a coordination meeting on the use of B20 in Jakarta on Friday.
Mulyana said the reduction in the importation of diesel oil was recorded from August 1 to November 7 2018, especially when the non-PSO (public service obligation/non-government) consumers are also obligated to use B20.
He assured that the government will continue to monitor the use of B20 which is now being promoted intensively to the industrial and transportation sectors.
Up till now, the use of biodiesel by PSO-consumers has reached 80 percent, but the use of biodiesel by non-PSO consumers is yet to be recorded officially.
The government has previously launched intensive promotion on the use of palm oil-based biodiesel energy to suppress the importation of fuel oils, particularly diesel oil.
So far, the importation of fuel oils is one of the main contributors to the current account deficit. The government is willing to reduce the deficit because it could serve as one of the facilitators that weaken the rupiah exchange rate value.
Reporting Satyagraha
Editing by Andi Abdussalam
Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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