The regions that benefited from the additional stocks comprised North Sumatra, Bangka Belitung Islands, Bengkulu, East Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan, as well as all provinces in Sulawesi Island.
According to Pertamina Patra Niaga’s Corporate Secretary, Irto Ginting, the company recorded a two-percent increase in consumption of these subsidized gas cylinders in July as compared to that recorded in the previous month.
The increased consumption that exceeded the company's quota occurred following several religious festivities and the long holidays, he noted, adding that Pertamina has responded immediately to deal with the condition.
"First, we coordinate with local governments whose regions potentially need the additional stocks. By doing so, we are able to meet their demands, accelerate distribution, or conduct market operations," he stated.
Second, the company continues to working closely with the police in anticipation of misuses of the subsidized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters, Ginting remarked.
"We do appreciate the police's crackdowns on perpetrators in Karawang (West Java), and Padang (West Sumatra)," he noted.
Related news: Pertamina guarantees availability of subsidized three-kg gas canisters
Meanwhile, Pertamina CEO Nicke Widyawati noted earlier that the company guarantees the availability of subsidized three-kg gas canisters amid an increase in public consumption.
To this end, Pertamina has been striving for an immediate recovery of stock availability and distribution, she noted in a statement on Tuesday.
Referring to the government's data, some 60 million households are eligible for subsidies. This figure equals 68 percent of Indonesia's total number of households recorded at 88 million, she stated.
However, Widyawati found that the percentage of sold subsidized gas canisters in the country stood at 96. The finding revealed that the subsidized gas canisters were not fully sold only to eligible households.
Hence, in dealing with this problem, Pertamina also collaborates with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the subsidized gas canisters are entirely distributed only to eligible households, Widyawati explained.
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Translator: Faisal Y, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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