Jakarta, Sept 28 (Antara) - Private businesses grouped in the National Gas and Oil Entrepreneurs Assocation(Hiwana) has welcomed the government's plan to launch a new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) product in the market next month.
The government through state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina has revealed that it will launch into the market new non-subsidized 5.5-kilogram (kg) gas cylinders early next month to provide gas alternative for household consumers.
Pertamina Marketing Director Ahmad Bambang earlier remarked that his office had made intensive preparations for the launch of Pertamina's new 5.5-kg gas variant to provide a viable alternative to consumers.
"Just wait until next month as I am still conducting a survey to finalize its logo. We want its logo, size, and color to be attractive to consumers. Its color can be pink, orange, or purple. The survey to decide the shape of the cylinder is still being conducted, whether it should be skinny, slim, or chubby," Bambang stated recently.
The design of its logo and cylinder will be based on feedback received from consumers, and Pertamina is conducting a survey to collect this information. Hopefully, the 5.5-kg LPG cylinders will be launched in the market early in October, he remarked.
According to Hiswana, West Java's Bogor branch, which specializes on the natural oil and gas business, it is ready to market the new 5.5-kg gas cylinders when Pertamina launches the new product.
"The government has held meetings to discuss the new gas type. According to plan, the marketing of the new variant will be launched next month," Bahriun, the chairman of Hiswana for Bogor, said on Monday.
Bahriun explained that the new gas variant will be sold in a 7-kg cylinder with a 5.5 kg gas content. The new gas variant is an expansion in the development of the Bright Gas type which has previously been launched by Pertamina.
"We have prepared 5.5-kg gas cylinder dealers in Bogor. The distribution system will be provided (by the government in this case Pertamina)," he said.
Regarding the price of the new gas type, Bahriun claimed to have no official information about it. He did not either get information yet about the amount of the new gas that would be allocated for the Bogor area.
However, according to Roberth M.V. Dumatubun, the external relations manager of Pertamina's Marketing Operations for Region IV (Central Java and Yogyakara), the non-subsidized 5.5-kg LPG cylinders, will be sold at a price of Rp80 thousand per cylinder.
"The 5.5-kg LPG cylinders will be officially launched on October 1, 2015. They will be sold only in Jakarta and its satellite towns of Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jadetabek)," Roberth M.V. Dumatubun, stated in Semarang, Central Java, on Friday (Sept 18).
Basically, Hiswana welcomes and is ready to market the new gas type packed in a 7-kg cylinder.
"As we have done in the past, when we started distributing the 12-kg gas cylinders, we had already prepared the infrastructure and facilities. We also have stickers and billboards to promote this new product," he said.
Bahriun said he had information on the facilities to market the new product in Jakarta and its buffer towns (Jadetabek) area. The new gas will be distributed to consumers using the services of Gojek (motorcycle taxis).
"This is still in a sale trial phase. The dispatch of the product using the Gojek service will be carried out through the online service with Pertamina. The price of the 5.5-kg cylinder gas during the trial sale phase is reported to be set at Rp80 thousand each," katanya.
He said that the canisters of the new product are equal to the Bright Gas, namely their tubes are colorful and could be adjusted to the request of the consumers.
Consumers who have the 12-kg Bright Gas canisters could exchange their cylinders with those of the new type of gas product. "One empty canister of the 12-kg Bright Gas type could be exchanged with two empty canisters of the new gas type," he said.
He said that the presence of the new type of the Pertamina gas product provided alternative gas for consumers for their daily need.
According to Roberth M.V. Dumatubun, the target consumers of the 5.5-kg LPG cylinders are the middle and upper class people such as apartment residents who do not consume LPG in large volumes.
"Apartment residents are a market segment and rarely carry out cooking activities. For apartments, particularly with women residents, the 5.5-kg LPG cylinders are suitable as the apartment residents can carry the cylinders themselves since they are not too heavy such as the 12-kg variant," he noted.
The non-subsidized 5.5-kg LPG cylinders, which are packed similar to the 12-kg sized Bright gas cylinder, are sold at a price of Rp80 thousand per cylinder.
Earlier, Pertamina Marketing Director Ahmad Bambang had remarked in Jakarta that his office would prepare 70 thousand cylinders of the 5.5-kg gas for the trial sale in the Jadetabek areas.
He affirmed that the target consumers for the new LPG variant are middle class people such as those residing in apartments.
"We want to be more specific and create products specially catering to the needs of apartment residents who have no piped gas connection. It will be difficult for apartment residents to carry 12-kg gas cylinders as they are heavier. However, they should also not opt for the 3-kg gas canisters as this size is only meant for the lower class people," the Pertamina marketing director pointed out.
Besides this, the 5.5-kg gas cylinders are also expected to attract consumers of 3-kg cylinders who will actually be able to buy a bigger size gas cylinder.
"Our target is the middle class consumer. Now, many middle class consumers are opting for the 3-kg gas canisters," he stressed.
Bambang expressed hope that the new gas variant in the form of 5.5-kg cylinders would be able to attract consumers that currently use 3-kg gas cylinders.
"We do not need to sell it at a higher price for the time being, and what is important is to attract consumers first," he added.***3***
(T.A014/ )(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 28-09-2015 21:07:1 |
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