"Our country is very large and is united by the sea. The one-price fuel program is part of efforts to realize social justice for Indonesian people who live in the frontier, outermost, and least developed regions, known as the 3T areas," Deputy for Natural Resources and Services at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs Agung Kuswandono said in a statement here on Tuesday.
The ministry held a coordination meeting of the one-price fuel program implementation in 2018 and 2019 on Monday in Tangerang. The meeting was attended by one-price fuel program coordinator Zibuli Hisbul Masih, director of Oil and Gas Downstream Business Development Muhammad Riswi Hisjam and district representatives who get priority in the development of the one-price fuel distribution.
State-owned energy holding company Pertamina operated 70 one-price fuel stations in 2018 of the target of 67, and by the end of 2019, it plans to operate another 160 one-price fuel stations in 3T areas.
Nevertheless, Kuswandono admitted the realization of the one-price fuel program experienced obstacles due to the lack of infrastructure.
"The distribution of fuel to remote areas is costly. Therefore, the government should make innovations and construct infrastructure," Kuswandono said.
According to the Communications and Informatics Ministry, there were areas which didn't get a chance to open a one-price fuel station because they did not have communication access with the central government.
"Electricity, fuel, and telecommunication are needed for the economy to develop. Based on data, the government will find out areas that do not have adequate infrastructure, and the government can improve those areas. Infrastructure in remote and isolated areas should be improved to implement the one-price fuel (BBM) program properly," he remarked.
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Ade Irma / Azis Kurmala
Editor: Eliswan Azly
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
