Pertamina`s president director Karen Agustiawan said here on Tuesday the protection was needed as a form of the government`s solidarity with the state-owned company.
"The governments of other countries also do it," she said.
She said the government must require private companies selling products equal to pertamax to buy from Pertamina.
Only after Pertamina`s supply runs out could they be allowed to buy or import from other parties, she said.
Another form of protection needed , she said, was setting the selling price of pertamax produced by Pertamina at a lower level than of other sellers.
She said in Malaysia a new company could only set up a gas station after building a refinery.
"Here, even a company that has no refinery can set up a gasoline station," she said.
She said the government`s protection would be more needed after Pertamina builds two refineries in Balongan, West Java, and Tuban, East Java, that needs an investment of up to US$20 billion.
The two refineries with a capacity of producing 600,000 barrels a day are prepared to produce 7.79 million kiloliters of high-octane gasoline.
Totally Pertamina plans to build seven refineries consisting of two new refineries and five improvement projects with total production of high-octane gasoline to reach 22.8 million kiloliters.
Karen said right now Pertamina is still awaiting the government`s assignment in connection with the implementation of the limitation of subsidized gasoline use.
She said that around 3,000 Pertamina gasoline stations in Java and Bali have been 90 percent ready to sell pertamax.
"The rest is still awaiting a presidential decree and it takes around three months to add new dispensers or tanks. However I believe they will all be ready in time," she said.
The government will start limiting the use of subsidized gasoline in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi and the program will be continued to cover Java and Bali later.
The program has been mandated by Law Number 22 of 2011 on 2012 Budget.
(T.K007/H-YH/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
