Govt to tighten vehicle emissions standards
Govt to tighten vehicle emissions standards
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government was planning to issue a new decree on tighter
vehicle exhaust emission limits that would require new vehicles
to have a catalytic converter beginning in 2004, according to a
senior governmental official.
Ridwan D. Tamin, deputy assistant for vehicle emissions at the
Ministry of Environment, said last week the proposed decree was
consistent with the government policy to improve air quality in
the country.
A catalytic converter is a device, which is assembled into the
exhaust pipe to help reduce the harmful emissions that pollute
the air such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon.
"We expect the new decree will come into force by the end of
this year," he told The Jakarta Post, noting that a similar
policy had been implemented by several neighboring countries.
Under the new decree, the government plans to tighten vehicle
emission standards gradually in three phases: the pre-2004 phase,
the 2004 to 2007 phase and the post-2007.
He did not however elaborate on the emission limits to be
imposed in each phase, but said Indonesia is seeking to implement
the European emission standards.
"What is certain is that new vehicles manufactured in 2004
must use catalytic converters to meet the new emission limits,"
Ridwan said.
Ridwan said automobiles with catalytic converters would have
to use unleaded gasoline because leaded gasoline would severely
damage the catalytic convertor. As such, the obligation for new
vehicles to have catalytic converters as of 2004 presupposes that
Indonesia will already be free from leaded gasoline by that time.
The government introduced unleaded gasoline in Jakarta and in
Cirebon, West Java last year and expects to completely change
over from leaded gasoline by 2004.
As for vehicles produced before 2004, Ridwan said thus far the
government had no plans to oblige the owners to equip their
vehicles with catalytic converters.
"We should tolerate old cars as we know many people can't just
replace their old cars with new ones," he said.
Ridwan cautioned however that a new decree could possibly be
issued in the future either by the central government or
provincial governments to oblige the owners of the those produced
before 2004 to install catalytic converters.
To this point, local automotive manufacturers have yet to
produce cars with catalytic converters due to the widespread use
of leaded gasoline.
Ridwan further said the new policy could help the local
automotive industry expand their market to other countries,
because most had tightened their emissions policy long ago.
"The new policy will force local producers to make vehicles
that meet international emission standards and as such help
locally produced units in competing with neighboring countries,"
he said.
Bambang Trisulo, chairman of the Indonesian Automotive
Industry Association (Gaikindo), supported the planned decree,
saying it would be a positive impact for the sector as well as
for the environment.
"We have the time to make vehicles which meet the new vehicle
emission requirement. We're optimistic we can do it," Bambang
told The Post.
However, Bambang said, the government must first ensure that
unleaded gasoline would be available in every province of the
country prior to implementing the new car emission standards in
2004.