Move to ban leaded gasoline gains support<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The move to stop the use of leaded gasoline
\ngained further support on Thursday when a legislative commission
\nsanctioned it, a proposal will also be submitted to the
\ngovernment by several non-governmental organizations in the hope
\nthat it will be issued as a presidential decree.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives Commission VIII for science,
\ntechnology and the environment at a hearing with the Forum for
\nthe Phasing Out of Leaded Gasoline, urged the government,
\nespecially the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the
\nState Ministry for the Environment, to draw up both short and
\nlong-term plans to make Jakarta leaded gasoline-free by June next
\nyear and the whole country by January 2003.<\/p>\n
Commission chairman Irwan Prayitno told The Jakarta Post,
\nafter the two-hour hearing, that a ban on leaded gasoline was
\nurgently needed in the country.<\/p>\n
\"Other countries have outlawed leaded gasoline. Furthermore,
\nleaded gasoline aggravates air pollution in the country which is
\npoisoning our people,\" Irwan added.<\/p>\n
It was the second visit by the forum to the House. The forum
\nhad previously met with legislators from Commission VII for
\npopulation and welfare affairs.<\/p>\n
Irwan, a member of the Reform Faction, also rejected a recent
\ngovernment statement which said that the government was not able
\nto phase out leaded fuel at the present time as there were more
\nimmediate demands on the state's limited resources.<\/p>\n
\"That's only an excuse. Actually there are many investors
\nready to invest in this area, even with a marginal profit of 2 to
\n3 percent\".<\/p>\n
\"The key here is the government's seriousness and the synergy
\nbetween the departments which are involved in implementing the
\nplan,\" he said.<\/p>\n
During a workshop on leaded gasoline on Tuesday, Assistant to
\nthe Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dipo Alam had said the
\ngovernment was not able to put the plan into effect as its budget
\nwas limited and there were no investors willing to finance the
\nscheme.<\/p>\n
Dipo also said the government had to prioritize other public
\nneeds such as the social safety net program.<\/p>\n
The non-governmental organizations estimate that a nation-wide
\nconversion from leaded to unleaded fuel would cost between US$190
\nmillion and $230 million.<\/p>\n
Achmad Syafrudin, chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the
\nIndonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), also remarked that
\nthe government had not been serious about the matter.<\/p>\n
Achmad underlined that leaded fuel was very harmful as it can
\ncause brain damage in children and mental disorders in adults.<\/p>\n
He further claimed that the health costs from lead emissions
\nin Indonesia were estimated at $62.4 million per year.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that air pollution in the capital had reached
\nalarming levels of between 0.2 and 1.8 micrograms per cubic
\nmeter, while the World Health Organization had set a maximum
\nlimit of 0.5 micrograms per cubic meter.<\/p>\n
Achmad also said that the NGOs had completed drafting a
\nproposal on the banning of leaded fuel.<\/p>\n
He claimed the proposal would soon be presented to the
\nMinistry of Finance, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and
\nthe State Secretariat for approval to be eventually adopted as a
\npresidential decree. (asa)<\/p>",
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