The 2012 state budget law gives the government a mandate to limit the use of subsidized gasoline for private cars in Java and Bali as of April 1, 2012.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government is ready to limit the use of subsidized gasoline in accordance with Law No. 22 of 2011 on the 2012 state budget, an official said.

"We don`t want to violate the law," Director General of Oil and Gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Evita Legowo said here on Tuesday.

The 2012 state budget law gives the government a mandate to limit the use of subsidized gasoline for private cars in Java and Bali as of April 1, 2012.

Pursuant to article 7 para (4) of the law, the government shall control the use of budget fund for fuel subsidies in 2012 by allocating the fund to those entitled to it.

Evita said the government was in the process of preparing a number of steps related to the limitation on the use of subsidized gasoline as of April 1, 2012.

The steps included a plan to revise Presidential Regulations No. 55 of 2005 and No. 9 of 2006 which serve as the government`s tool to control the use of subsidized fuels.

"We have completed (the draft revision of the presidential regulations). The draft has been sent to the cabinet Secretariat for inter-ministerial discussion," she said.

She said the revision of presidential regulations was expected to be completed at the end of this year or early next year.

After the presidential regulations had been revised they would serve as a reference to limit the use of subsidized gasoline, she said.

"We cannot limit (the use of subsidized gasoline) without revising the presidential regulations," she said.

The presidential regulations also carried sanctions against those violating the law, she said.

She said the government was expected to familiarize the public with the revised presidential regulations from January to March 2012.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011