Speaking to the press after inspecting a fuel oil control center of state oil and gas company Pertamina here on Wednesday, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said asked the people not to worry about fuel oil stocks.
"I am happy with what Pertamina has prepared. At the fuel oil control post command, I observed that the entire nation is prepared whenever it (the fuel price hike) is decided," he said.
Acting Director General of Oil and Gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Naryanto Wagimin, Chief of the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Body (BPH Migas) Andy N Sommeng, acting Pertamina President Director M Husen, and Pertamina Marketing and Commerce Director Hanung Budya also attended the event.
Sudirman said the government will divert fuel subsidy to other sectors, including irrigation networks, ports, boats and cold storage facilities for fishermen and seeds for farmers.
"The fuel subsidy diverted to other sectors must really reach the (low-income) people," he said.
The fuel price hike will reduce irregularities which cause losses to the state, he said.
Meanwhile, Hanung Budya asked the people not to buy fuel oils in large quantities ahead of the governments announcement on fuel price hike.
"Both subsidized and non-subsidized fuel oil stocks are enough," he said.
He said subsidized gasoline stocks are enough for 16 days and diesel oil stocks are adequate for 19 days.
Yet, subsidized gasoline consumption in the past couple of weeks rose 12 percent to 90,000 kiloliters a day from 81,000 kiloliters a day.
Earlier, Vice President Jusuf Kalla hinted that the government would raise the prices of subsidized fuel oils later this month.
(Reported by Kelik Dewanto/Uu.KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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