Business Actors Urge The Government To Immediately Issue The HGBT Program Continuation Rules

Gas industry (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Industry players receiving natural gas benefits have urged the government to immediately extend the policy on low gas prices or certain Natural Gas Prices (HGBT) which was previously set at US$6 per MMBTU.

Chairman of the Natural Gas User Industry Forum, Yustinus Gunawan, said that his party appreciated the statement by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif who gave the signal that he would extend the HGBT policy which previously ended this year.

However, he hopes that the government will immediately establish this policy in the form of the latest Ministerial Regulation (Permen). The reason, he said, is that currently there are still many business actors who make decisions to wait and see until the latest HGBT policy is issued.

"This position of wait and see may still happen because we are still waiting for a new Permen or Perpres which reaffirms this certain affordable natural gas price," Yustinus said in the Energy Corner quoted Monday, May 13,

With this wait and see attitude, he continued, it would be very unfortunate if the HGBT policy was not continued by the government until the end of 2024.

"There are several investments that are waiting for this sustainability so that they can make it happen. And don't forget that our commitment to export 30 percent is still awaited by foreign buyers," continued Yustinus.

Yustinus said, actually the reindustrialization has occurred since 2020 since the HGBT was implemented. This is reflected in the Manufacturing PMI index which continues to grow expansively for 32 consecutive months.

Previously, he continued, for the past 10 years when natural gas rose there was reindustrialization until 2019. He said that if the government did not continue the HGBT program, it would be fatal to the domestic industrial sector.

"It would be very fatal if the HGBT was not continued for this vital energy," added Yustinus.