Time to Revisit the Electric Stove Programme

The replacement of LPG stoves with electric stoves could serve as one of the government’s steps to provide breathing room for the state budget (APBN). Moreover, this policy could also reduce vulnerability to geopolitical dynamics.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - It is crucial for the government to ensure that food remains on the people’s plates, especially amid the intensifying war between the United States and Israel against Iran.

That war serves as stark evidence of the Middle East (or West Asia)’s position as the guardian of the world’s energy pulse. Less than a month after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, countries thousands of kilometres away began to roar and declare energy emergencies.

One by one, countries are starting to be affected. The Philippines, on Tuesday (24/3), became the first country to officially declare a national emergency due to the disruption of the global energy supply chain following the conflict in the Middle East region.

The energy crisis then spread to other countries, including Australia, which began experiencing shortages of petroleum fuel (BBM) stocks at hundreds of public fuelling stations (SPBU). Videos of crowds walking on foot went viral across various social media platforms.

However, the BBM crisis is not the only threat. Another looming danger is the LPG shortage, a crisis that has not yet been widely discussed in public but is vital to ensuring food needs are met.

India is one of the countries currently facing an LPG shortage as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Restaurants, cafes, and hotels are beginning to limit their operations to keep the LPG supply flowing.

Several official news channels in India reported that the local government has approved the distribution of kerosene as an alternative so that the public can still cook. Residents who previously relied on gas stoves are now reverting to kerosene.

So what about Indonesia, which relies on imports for more than 75 per cent of its total LPG needs?