No more leaded gasoline in 1999, says Sudjana

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana said leaded gasoline would be phased out until 1999, when it would be banned to reduce pollution.

Therefore the public should start modifying their cars and using natural gas, Sudjana was quoted by Antara as saying Sunday.

He was witnessing a vehicle emission test at the National Monument (Monas) park.

He admitted the state-owned oil company Pertamina was still producing leaded gasoline, such as Premix.

"But we have reduced the use of leaded gasoline by stopping the production of Super gasoline, which had high lead levels," Sudjana said.

He said the public did not use much natural gas because there was a limited number of stations providing unleaded fuel.

"But that will no longer be main reason as we are adding more stations," Sudjana said.

"Maybe people are reluctant (to switch to natural gas) out of habit," Sudjana said.

Last year, members of Swisscontact, a private foundation working for urban environments, said here that banning leaded fuel could improve the city's air quality by up to 40 percent within a year.

David Kuper, the foundation's Jakarta representative, said there was no need to wait for years before phasing out leaded gasoline. "There is no need to wait until 2004," Kuper said.

Initially, Pertamina officials had told the foundation leaded gasoline would be phased out by 2004 to allow time for the adjustment of refineries and other changes.

Antara reported that Pertamina's president director, Faisal Abda'oe, said the company had started producing more unleaded fuel and adding more stations.

He said the marketing of Super TT, the unleaded fuel's brand name, was still weak, as at Rp 975 per liter, it still cost more than regular fuel.

In a seminar last week on public transport at the State Ministry of Environment, Saut M. Lubis, an expert involved in the city's Blue Sky anti-pollution drive, urged the government to make leaded fuel more expensive than unleaded.

"I don't see why such a practical, urgent measure, is not taken," Saut said, charging that the government was not serious about improving air quality.

Last year Pertamina began supplying about 50,000 liters of unleaded gasoline to the Jakarta market, the only place where natural gas is sold.

Jakarta has 2.5 million vehicles and 153 stations for diesel fuel and gasoline. Eleven have agreed to provide liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Thirteen stations also sell compressed natural gas (CNG). (ste)