Pertamina: Government Policies Have A Positive Impact On Company Business Activities As Indonesian Oil And Gas Operators

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) Nicke Widyawati revealed that the government's conducive policy has had a positive impact on the business activities of oil and gas operators in Indonesia, especially Pertamina.

"We are grateful for all the support of the Minister (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif so that Pertamina can contribute to the upstream sector. Of course, this cannot be separated from the government's increasingly conducive policies," Nicke said in a written statement, quoted from Antara, Saturday, February 11.

He also expressed his appreciation to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for their full support for Pertamina as one of the upstream operators that is the driving force for companies to increase oil and gas reserves and produce and develop their working areas.

In addition to the upstream sector, continued Nicke, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources' regulatory support is also applied to subsidized diesel and Pertalite price policies.

For more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has kept subsidized fuel prices below market prices, so Pertamina can continue to distribute fuel at affordable prices to remote areas of the archipelago.

"With stable subsidized diesel and Pertalite prices, during the pandemic, Pertamina can support the government in maintaining inflation and people's purchasing power," said Nicke.

Therefore, Pertamina continues to strengthen infrastructure and distribution by increasing the outlets for the distribution of fuel and LPG in order to expand the network and bring sales points closer to the community.

Until now, Pertamina has 7,904 gas stations operating throughout Indonesia. Pertamina has also built 6,232 Pertashops spread across various rural areas in the country.

In addition, to ensure easy access for people in the frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped regions (3T), Pertamina from 2017 to January 2023 has built 417 gas stations in the 3T area in the one-price fuel program.

For LPG outlets, currently the number of public service obligation (PSO) agents is 4,950, non-PSO 860 agents, PSO base is 233 thousand and non-PSO outlet is 55 thousand.

"When economic activity begins to stretch, in 2022 the government will provide additional quotas for subsidized fuel so that the needs of fuel and LPG in the community are still met," said Nicke.