Pertamina hits back at Walhi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State-owned oil company Pertamina denied
\nyesterday accusations made by the Indonesian Forum for
\nEnvironment (Walhi) that it was not concerned about air pollution
\nin Jakarta caused by leaded gasoline.<\/p>\n
The head of Pertamina's facilities and supplies supervision
\ndivision, Suhud, said the company's concern was first shown in
\n1991 by its decision to stop production of Super 98 gasoline, a
\nfuel with a very high lead level, and its decision to introduce
\nnatural gas in 1987.<\/p>\n
\"We do care (about air pollution),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Suhud said the reason Pertamina charged more for unleaded fuel
\nwas because it cost more to produce.<\/p>\n
Suhud was speaking at a seminar organized to announce the
\nresults of a survey on Jakarta's air pollution.<\/p>\n
The survey was conducted by the Indonesian Consumers
\nFoundation (YLKI) in cooperation with Swisscontact, a private
\nfoundation working to improve urban environments.<\/p>\n
The study revealed that almost two-thirds of motorists were
\nunaware of the benefits of unleaded fuel.<\/p>\n
Suhud also denied that Pertamina made more profit from its
\nhigher priced Super TT unleaded gasoline than it did from its
\nleaded fuels, such as Premix.<\/p>\n
\"Pertamina doesn't have the authority to set fuel prices. It
\nwas the government, through a Presidential decree, which made the
\ndecision,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Suhud said Pertamina did not make huge profits from selling
\nfuel. \"All our income goes directly to the government, we're only
\ngiven operational funds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Super TT is sold by Pertamina for Rp 975 (32 US cents) per
\nliter, and leaded fuel for Rp 850.<\/p>\n
Suhud said Pertamina produced much unleaded fuel, \"but, we
\ndon't have enough gas stations to distribute it.\"<\/p>\n
He said that from when it was first launched in August 1995,
\nSuper TT was sold in 39 gas stations in Jakarta and West Java.<\/p>\n
The company sold 1,753,000 liters of Super TT in 1995\/1996 and
\n2,600,000 liters in 1996\/1997. It expects to sell 18,000,000
\nliters this financial year.<\/p>\n
Suhud declined to reveal how much leaded fuel was sold.<\/p>\n
The Environmental Impact Management Agency's director for air
\npollution control, Margana Koesoemadinata, said that with
\npollution worsening every day the city could not wait for the
\nprice of Pertamina's Super TT to come down.<\/p>\n
He suggested that Pertamina and related government offices let
\ngas stations sell unleaded fuel produced by PT Sigma Rancang
\nPerdana and sold under the brand name Petro 2T.<\/p>\n
Petro 2T, he said, was already sold in suburban areas in the
\ncity and was mainly bought by drivers of ojek (motorcycles taxis)
\nand other public transport vehicles. It was sold for Rp 660 per
\nliter, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Those who buy Petro 2T mostly don't know that it is unleaded
\nfuel. They buy it because of its cheap price,\" Margana said after
\nthe seminar.<\/p>\n
\"The government needs to be aware of Petro 2T and allow it to
\nbe sold at all gas stations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
YLKI's chairwoman, Tini Hadad, also urged the government to
\nreconsider its priorities with regard to pollution.<\/p>\n
\"Pollution harms people's lives. The government should give
\npriority to the people instead of only considering profit,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
LPG<\/p>\n
Suhud said Pertamina sold natural gas at 12 stations in the
\nGreater Jakarta area and two in Surabaya, East Java, and expected
\nto finish nine more outlets by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
Two are being built in Medan, North Sumatra, two in Palembang,
\nSouth Sumatra, two in Surabaya, East Java, and three in West
\nJava, one in Cikampek and two in Cirebon.<\/p>\n
Suhud said that next year Pertamina planned to build another
\nstation in Jakarta and three in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
He said Pertamina introduced liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in
\n1985 and sold it at eight gas stations in Jakarta, one in Bandung
\nand one in Denpasar, Bali.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto has said Pertamina should phase out the use
\nof leaded gasoline by 1999. (ste)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pertamina-hits-back-at-walhi-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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