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Govt blames market for exploding canisters
The government has offered little to ensure the safety of consumers using three-kilogram LPG canisters following a series of explosions in household kitchens caused by gas leakages, experts and analysts say
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he government has offered little to ensure the safety of consumers using three-kilogram LPG canisters following a series of explosions in household kitchens caused by gas leakages, experts and analysts say.
In a press briefing held at the Vice Presidential Palace on Friday, the government blamed the market for the distribution of gas canisters and other components that did not meet Indonesian National Standards (SNI).
"Illegal pipes with fake SNI labels are common in the market. The police and the Trade Ministry will withdraw them from the market," Evita H. Legowo, the director general for oil and gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said.
The government began rolling out the three-kilogram gas canisters in a kerosene conversion program to reduce fuel subsidies. The conversion program had reportedly cost some Rp 20 trillion (US$2.2 million).
The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) said a recent survey showed that the canisters, pipes, regulators and stoves were "below standard".
"Explosions do not happen solely because of the canister, but also because of other components, such as defective pipes and regulators," YLKI executive Tulus Abadi said.
"A survey by the National Standardization Agency *BSN* showed that no gas pipes used by consumers meet national standards," he added.
Citing the survey, Tulus said 66 percent of canisters were not up to standard followed by 50 percent of stoves and by 20 percent of regulators.
Energy analyst Pri Agung Rakhmanto agreed the explosions were triggered by defective components.
"An explosion is triggered by the combination of defective canister, gas pipe and regulator," he said.
"Many of the three components are not up to national standards and some are even counterfeit products so we cannot blame consumers."
Pri added the government was still not doing enough to monitor the quality of the components.
He blamed the lack of quality control on the fact that the government was only looking to meet the volume of LPG to be distributed to the public. "This is a new program, so it is possible that the government's main aim is to pursue its distribution target, thus ignoring consumer safety."
Kompas daily reported 14 explosions in Banten, Bekasi and Jakarta between April and May this year.
Lawmaker Chandra Tirta Wijaya of the National Mandate Party said the program saved Rp 17 trillion in government subsidies.
"What the government should instead do is tighten its supervision of the program," he said. (map)
