Jakarta, May 9 (Antara) - After building gas pipeline network connections for 89 household consumers last year, the government is planning another gas network, which will connect 59 households in 2017.
In addition, Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan has also promised to build additional household gas connections, with funds taken from the tank storage allocation funds amounting to Rp190 billion.
"Some of the funds for the development of the gas pipeline network will be taken from the 2017 state budget amounting to Rp190 billion," Jonan said in Surabaya, East Java, while inaugurating the operation of a gas pipeline, which connects 24 thousand household customers at Penjaringan Sari Flat, Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday (May 7).
According to Jonan, with the assumption that one connection will cost Rp10 million to develop, the Rp190 billion funds will enable the development of a gas network which connects some 19 thousand connections for households in a number of regions.
The government will accord priority to meeting the gas demands of the people and the availability of the network in carrying out the additional gas connection project.
Last year, the government set a target to develop 89 household gas connections, of which 24 thousands were developed in Surabaya, which were inaugurated by Jonan on Sunday.
Surabaya City Mayor Tri Rismaharini asked the government to set another program to allocate additional household gas connections this year.
She appreciated the efforts of the minister and the state-owned gas distributor PGN to build gas network connections for 24 thousand household consumers.
This gas program is very helpful to residents because they can save on their spending. It is practical and ready any time with clean and safe supplies, she remarked.
"Last year, we got allocations of gas connections for 24 thousand households. This year, we do not have one. Therefore, we ask Pak (Mr) Jonan to do his best for that," the mayor stated.
According to Rismaharini, the Surabaya City residents feel the benefits after using gas, because it is simple, could be used any time, and is clean and safe. "The efficient use of gas has improve the welfare of residents," she said.
Jonan inaugurated a gas network which connects 24 thousand household consumers in East Java on Sunday (May 7).
"Household consumers using gas network connections can save on Rp20 thousand per month," Jonan revealed.
The gas network is built at a cost of Rp221.9 billion taken from the state budget. The gas network connecting tens of thousands of household consumers is built based on the directives of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
The president has asked for gas development based on equitable distribution for economically weak citizens. "In accordance with the government's policy, gas development is mainly designed for electricity and modest household consumers," the minister stated.
The government is also accelerating its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to natural gas conversion program.
Every year, the government allocates a fund from the state budget for the expansion of gas networks in various regions. The development of the gas networks is designed for the people of the middle class and below so that they can enjoy clean and safe gas at a relatively low price. "The state budget should be used for something needed by the people of the lowest class," Jonan noted. The gas needs amounting to 0.6 million metric standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) in Surabaya are supplied by PT Pertamina Hulu Energi West Madura Offshore.
The length of the pipe network that connects 24 thousand households in Surabaya totaled 196 kilometers.
Oil and Gas Director General I Gusti Nyoman Wiratmaja Puja added that the government has built gas connections for 186 thousand household consumers in 14 provinces in the period from 2009 to 2016. The development is carried out through the assignment of two state companies PT PGN and PT Pertamina.
Puja said that besides efficiency for consumers, the development of gas connections for households also reduced the country's LPG imports by 20 thousand tons per annum. The network in Surabaya alone reduced the imports by 2.6 thousand tons yearly. "The government can save up to Rp131 billion a year," the director general explained.
President Director of state-owned gas distributor PT PGN Jobi Triananda Hasjim said that the use of gas for households is clean and safe. It is cheaper, and the bills can be paid later in a number of places.
Up to 2015, PGN has built and operated 43 thousand household connections in 11 cities with a cost taken from the state budget. With its own funds, the PGN built 100 thousand connections, according to Hasjim. (A014/INE)EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 09-05-2017 20:30 |
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