Jakarta, Oct 24 (Antara) - State-owned oil and gas company, Pertamina has launched a new gas variant, Bright Gas, in 5.5-kilogram cylinders of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) which is expected to attract 23 percent of subsidized gas consumers.
Pertamina's target in the launch of the non-subsidized Bright Gas, is to attract 23 percent per annum of subsidized LPG consumers so that it would reduce the government's burden in providing subsidies to LPG gas, particularly the consumers of subsidized 3-kg gas cylinders.
"Our concept is to attract 23 percent of subsidized gas consumers to non-subsidized Bright Gas in 5.5-kg cylinders. That is our target," Pertamina's Marketing Director Ahmad Bambang said when launching the Bright Gas 5.5-kg cylinders in Jakarta Friday (October 23).
Beginning next month (November 2015), Bright Gas will be developed and its market will be expanded to the Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi (Jabodetabek) regions through the Pertamina LPG dealers, 54 Pertamina Refilling Stations (SPBU) and 150 outlets in minimarkets, he said.
Last month, Pertamina began conducting a trial sale for the new variant of 5.5-kilogram cylinders by putting it on the market in Jakarta and its satellite towns of Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.
"The 5.5-kg LPG cylinders are sold only in Jakarta and its satellite towns of Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jadetabek)," External Relations Manager of PT Pertamina's Marketing Operations for Region IV (Central Java and Yogyakarta), Roberth M.V. Dumatubun, stated in Semarang, Central Java, September 18, 2016.
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, according to Pertamina's plan.
"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 residents can carry the cylinders themselves since they are not as heavy 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 Rp80 thousand per cylinder.
Earlier, 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.
The target consumers for the new LPG variant are middle class people such as those residing in apartments, he affirmed.
"We want to be more specific and create products specially catering to the needs of apartment residents who have no piped gas connections. 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," 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 the hope that the new gas variant in the form of 5.5-kg cylinders would be able to attract consumers who currently use 3-kg gas cylinders.
"We do not need to sell it at a higher price for the time being, but what is important is to attract consumers first," he added.
Early in 2016, Bright Gas 5.5-kg cylinders will be developed in Java and Bali, Ahmad Bambang said. The expansion of the gas variant network will be wider than the plan, he believed.
Besides reducing the burden of the state in LPG subsidy spending, the new variant is also designed for the convenience for consumers because it is lighter and easy to pick up.
Consumers of LPG with old cylinders who want to shift to using the 5.5-kg type could exchange their empty cylinders free of charge with these type of cylinders. "Consumers can change two old 3-kg cylinders with one 5.5-kg Bright Gas canister," Ahmad Bambang noted.
The price of the cylinder was set at Rp62 thousand by distributors and it is expected at the consumer level, it will not exceed Rp70 thousand each, he said. At the SPBU and minimarkets the price will be at Rp66 thousand each.
On the occasion, Director General of Oil and Natural Gas I Gusti Nyoman Wiratmaja Puja called on the people of the middle and upper income brackets, who so far used subsidized gas, to switch to using 5.5-kg Bright Gas cylinders.
"The government calls on the people who are financially capable to stop using subsidized 3kg gas cylinders but convert their gas to the new type of 5.5-kg cylinders. We hope that the other segment of people will soon be able to consume this type of gas in other cities of Indonesia," Wiratmaja Puja said. ***3***(T.A014/INE)EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 24-10-2015 17:21 |
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