Cutting down on subsidised oil consumption became crucial after the government`s failure to increase fuel prices; else, the country would face a huge deficit in the amended state budget.
Therefore, a national policy on energy saving was announced by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta on May 29, 2012, outlining five measures for the implementation of the energy saving programme.
The first measure involves controlling the fuel distribution system at every filling station (SPBU) by using sophisticated information technology, which will automatically record the data of every car, including its ownership, make and model, and daily consumption of subsidised fuel.
"This step will guarantee transparency and accountability in the consumption of fuel, particularly the subsidised ones. And it should reach the right targets," the head of state said.
Secondly, government vehicles are not allowed to use subsidised fuel. Special stickers will be issued for vehicles belonging to the government and state-owned enterprises in Jakarta as well as other regions.
Thirdly, vehicles owned by plantation and mining companies are also banned from using subsidised fuel. The government will also implement a sticker system for such vehicles.
These cars are not allowed to use subsidised diesel fuel because state-owned oil/gas company Pertamina already provides fuel exclusively for mining and plantation.
"The fourth way is to promote oil-to-gas conversion. We have already started it. We will add more natural gas filling stations, as well as prepare and supply converter kits," President Yudhoyono said.
State-owned electricity company PLN has also been discouraged from building new oil-powered electricity plants. PLN has been advised to set up plants powered by coal, natural gas, geothermal or solar energy.
The fifth measure concerns the obligation of central and regional government offices, as well as state-owned enterprises, to minimise their electricity and water consumption.
"The chiefs of the government offices and institutions must be responsible for making the programme a success," the President said.
Similar programmes had been carried out in 2008 and 2009. "At that time, we were facing a situation similar to what is happening now. The electricity and water conservation programme was very successful," he added.
"The Presidential Complex, unlike in the past, now switches off a lot of lights," Yudhoyono stated, a day after announcing the energy conservation programme.
The President cited examples of electricity saving measures implemented by the Japanese government during the difficult period after World War II and after the powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2010.
He noted during his visit to Japan in 2011 that the country was still facing power shortage.
"When I met with Prime Minister Naoto Kan and the Emperor, they said the lights were used only in important places," Yudhoyono said.
The head of state urged Indonesians to follow Japan`s example, especially when facing a crisis.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said the energy-saving efforts must not affect the performance of employees.
"The electricity-saving programme carried out by the government in 2008 and 2010 had managed to cut energy usage by 20 percent," he added.
Earlier, in May, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo called on government officials to set an example during the drive to implement electricity-saving measures in government institutions and ministries.
"Government officials must set good examples. Otherwise, people won`t know and would continue to think electricity is cheap," the minister said.
Agus also urged civil servants throughout the country to save electricity, saying it was crucial to reduce the use of subsidised fuel in view of the government`s failure to increase fuel prices.
"The government`s budget for fuel subsidy is limited. Therefore, the government needs to limit the use of subsidised fuel, which is predicted to surpass the quota of 40 million kilolitres this year," the minister added.
The government had earlier planned to limit the consumption of subsidised fuel, not only by government-owned vehicles, but also by private vehicles. However, the plan was cancelled on grounds that its implementation would be difficult.
Instead, the government issued the five-point energy policy to reduce energy usage.
"The energy-saving policy is necessary to limit the subsidised fuel quota to around 40-42 million kilolitres," Energy and Mineral Resource Minister Jero Wacik said recently.
The government has targeted to save up to 6 million kilolitres of subsidised fuel with the new policy. "If there is no effort to save, my estimation is that it could reach 47 million kilolitres," Jero pointed out.
As part of its austerity programme, the government has stepped up efforts to develop low-energy vehicles.
"We will continue to intensify research and development activities for special purposes, including allocating funds for the development of environmentally friendly cars, be it electric cars or green cars," President Yudhoyono announced recently.
He noted there had been a significant increase in the number of motorcycles and cars in the past few years.
"There has been a dramatic surge in the number of cars and motorcycles. We thank God that many people can afford to have vehicles. However, fuel consumption has increased sharply. If no extraordinary effort is made, there will be a big problem," the head of state said.
Therefore, he added, efforts must be made to produce low-energy vehicles.
"We need to conduct research and development. We need to think about the costs to develop low-energy cars in collaboration with the business world," the President stated. (*)
Reporter: Fardah
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
