Gas stations to use online bill system<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The following is the fourth and final article dedicated in
\nanticipation of the liberalization of the country's downstream
\noil and gas sector later this year.<\/p>\n
Philemon stepped out of his Toyota Kijang at a gasoline station
\nin Tebet, South Jakarta, asked for Rp 50,000 (US$4.9) of diesel
\nfuel and waited for the pump attendant to fill up the tank.<\/p>\n
When he asked for the bill, the attendant pointed to a small
\ndispenser and the bill came out, nicely printed with the date,
\ntime and purchase in liters and in rupiah.<\/p>\n
\"My first thought was 'Wow, it's cool...',\" his wife Gaby
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In many countries, such a system is as common as gasoline
\nstations. But here, a bill is usually a strip of paper with the
\namount scribbled on it.<\/p>\n
A computerized bill at a gasoline station, however, is more
\nthan just something cool.<\/p>\n
\"The data can be recorded directly into a system,\" said the
\nDownstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency's (BPH Migas) director
\nof fuel products, Adi Subagyo Subono, recently.<\/p>\n
BPH Migas, which after November will take over Pertamina's
\nrole in ensuring that subsidized fuel is distributed across the
\ncountry, is proposing to apply an online, real time system to
\nmonitor fuel distribution.<\/p>\n
In the agency's plan, each fuel depot, fuel tanker and
\ngasoline station will have a smart card identification (SCI) to
\nrecord the amount of fuel coming in and out.<\/p>\n
\"The data will be entered automatically to a server of an
\nindependent surveyor,\" said Adi, referring to an independent
\nentity, which will be assigned to audit fuel sales in volume.<\/p>\n
Private cars and public buses might use different cards that
\nrecord the volume bought, just in case the government decides to
\nration fuel, he added.<\/p>\n
Aside from the SCI, fuel tankers will also have a global
\npositioning system (GPS) that can monitor and record their
\nmovement from depots to gasoline stations or major industries.<\/p>\n
At present, tankers often stray from their routes and \"leak\"
\nout their contents to willing buyers. As kerosene, premium
\ngasoline and diesel fuel are subsidized by the government and
\nretail at less than half of their market prices, fuel
\ndistribution in Indonesian is also highly prone to smuggling.<\/p>\n
\"With a computerized system we can thoroughly monitor fuel
\nsales and distribution,\" said Adi.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Software Association Djarot
\nSubiantoro said although such a system was simple, it would be
\nexpensive to apply due to the vastness of the archipelago and
\ndifficult topography.<\/p>\n
\"The technology is common. The implementation, however, which
\ninvolves adjusting and training human resources, will take a long
\ntime,\" he said, citing another possible challenge.<\/p>\n
To minimize costs and facilitate the transition, Djarot
\nsuggested that BPH Migas cooperate with existing systems, such as
\nbanks or the network used by the General Elections Committee
\n(KPU) last year.<\/p>\n
In a bid to provide quick preliminary data to determine
\nelection winners, KPU built a Rp 200 billion network, connecting
\n4,842 points from east to west in less than a year.<\/p>\n
BPH Migas has yet to calculate the funds needed to connect all
\nfuel retail points in the country. At present, Pertamina
\ndistributes fuel through some 2,600 gasoline stations.<\/p>\n
\"We hope to be able to see the system in operation within one
\nyear,\" said Adi.<\/p>\n
New players, such as Petronas and Shell, that want to take
\npart in distributing subsidized fuel after November must prepare
\nfor such a system.<\/p>\n
\"We will give some time for Pertamina as it already has a wide
\nnetwork,\" said Adi.<\/p>\n
From that moment on, Gaby and Philemon will be able to find
\nthe \"cool\" system elsewhere other than their favorite gasoline
\nstation in Tebet.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gas-stations-to-use-online-bill-system-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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