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Digital nozzles to be introduced to end misuse of subsidized fuels
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A staff member fills up a motorcycle with gasoline at a gas station owned by state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina in Jakarta. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he government plans to install real-time data transmitters in state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina’s fuel nozzles in a bid to monitor the sale of subsidized fuel.
Energy and Mineral Resources Deputy Minister Arcandra Tahar applauded the idea, saying the technology could accurately record fuel consumption across the country.
“It is a good idea. I hope it won’t stop at subsidized fuel [Premium-branded gasoline and Solar-branded diesel fuel] only, but cover all types of fuel,” he said on Thursday.
Previously, Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) head Fansurullah Asa said three ministers – Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani – had approved the plan on March 8.
Fansurullah believed the new system was urgently needed, arguing that the current supervision system depended on random checks of some 200 to 400 gas stations of the total of 7,495 stations.
“The system is necessary if we want our subsidized fuel to go to the right people,” he said adding that the sales data would go directly to BPH Migas.
Pertamina acting president director Nicke Widyawati said the firm agreed to build the system. She expected that the company could collaborate with other state-owned companies that had sufficient Information Technology (IT) capabilities.
As an initial step, Pertamina would map out the first batch of gas stations that were best prepared for the technology, she said, adding that before the end of 2018, the first batch would be completed. (bbn)
