Industry Minister Says Additional Gas Allocation Could Boost Capacity Utilisation

Jakarta (ANTARA) — Industry Minister Muhammad Sarmuji said a policy to increase gas allocations for domestic use, particularly in the industrial sector, could raise national manufacturing capacity utilisation to 80–85 per cent.

Sarmuji said industry requires large volumes of gas, both as a raw material and as a primary fuel. The subsectors particularly dependent on gas include petrochemicals, fertilisers, glass, steel and ceramics.

Speaking in Jakarta on Monday, he said increased gas allocations for industry were an important factor in raising national industrial utilisation, which currently stands at nearly 70 per cent.

The government, he said, would seek to increase utilisation to 85 per cent to boost industry’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) and national economic growth.

“This shows there is sensitivity to domestic industry, and its impact is very significant,” he said.

He added that greater gas allocations for industry could not only increase the sector’s contribution to GDP, but also help protect jobs.

“We will drive utilisation up, expand industrial capacity, increase national income further and create more jobs,” Sarmuji said.