Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina said on Tuesday that it guarantees the availability of subsidized three-kg gas canisters amid an increase in public consumption.
To this end, Pertamina is striving for an immediate recovery of stock availability and distribution, as noted by the company's CEO, Nicke Widyawati, in a statement.
The stock availability continues to be secured, and within one week from Tuesday, it could gradually return to normal, she affirmed.
According to Widyawati, a two-percent increase in consumption of these subsidized gas canisters was recorded in July due to the recent long holiday.
In securing the stocks of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Pertamina, through its subsidiary, PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, continues to monitor the distribution of LPG, she stated.
Pertamina has also worked closely with regional governments to ensure the stock availability and distribution of these subsidized gas canisters.
To ensure that the subsidized gas canisters effectively reach eligible buyers, the company and regional governments would conduct market operations in selected areas, she remarked.
Referring to the government's data, some 60 million households are eligible for subsidies. This figure equals 68 percent of Indonesia's total number of households recorded at 88 million, she stated.
Widyawati, however, found that the percentage of sold subsidized gas canisters in the country stood at 96. The finding revealed that the subsidized gas canisters were not fully sold only to eligible households.
Hence, in dealing with this problem, Pertamina also collaborates with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the subsidized gas canisters are entirely distributed only to eligible households, Widyawati explained.
To this end, the company is currently conducting a national identity number-based registration to ensure the eligibility of buyers to help improve good governance in the distribution of gas canisters, she stated.
She also appealed to the people at large to use the subsidized three-kg gas canisters wisely, as they are provided only for poor households.
"If they find scarcity or evidence of misuse of these subsidized gas canisters in certain areas, they may file reports to our call center 135," she stated.
The people's active participation facilitates Pertamina's efforts to continue maintaining stable stock availability and proper distribution of subsidized three-kg gas canisters in Indonesia, she affirmed.
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