LPG conversion program held up by holidays, elections

Wasti Atmodjo ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Sat, 03/28/2009 1:42 PM  |  Bali

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina has delayed the start of the next phase of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) conversion program for Bali due to the elections and a flurry of Balinese Hindu holidays.

Pertamina vice president of communications Anang R. Noor said the program's next phase would begin after the April 9 legislative elections.

He underlined the delay was not a national policy, since it had been decided upon by Pertamina's Bali office.

"At the national level, it's very clear that by June at the latest all the conversion kits must have been distributed to the target groups," he said.

A conversion kit comprises a stove, a gas regulator and a 3-kilogram LPG canister. The conversion program is aimed at assisting lower-income residents make the transition from using kerosene stoves to cleaner-burning LPG stoves.

Pertamina Bali and West Nusa Tenggara sales area manager Jekson Simanjuntak said the decision was made after the local branch's executives deliberated upon various specific concerns associated with the general elections and several major Balinese Hindu rituals slated for late March and early April.

"Security is not one of those concerns; I am optimistic the elections will go ahead peacefully and smoothly, particularly in Bali," he said, adding the delay was mainly a matter of waiting for the perfect time to start the next phase of the program.

One of the main concerns related to the polls, he added, was the possibility the conversion program could be exploited by political parties for their own advantage.

"This is particularly true since we found several campaign posters and banners carrying the logo of our conversion program. We have collected evidence on this matter and will soon file a formal report to the elections supervisory body *Panwaslu*," he said.

"We certainly don't want those posters and banners giving the wrong impression that the parties have received any endorsement or support from Pertamina."

Simanjuntak also said Pertamina wanted to show its respect for the island's Hindu-majority population, who celebrate four major religious festivals in March and April. The rituals are Galungan, Kuningan, Nyepi and Panca Wali Krama.

"The distribution of the conversion kits will require a large number of workers, and most of our workers here are Balinese Hindus," he said, adding the company did not want the implementation of the program to impede on the workers' religious obligations.

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