Regarding The Sustainability Of Cheap Gas, ESDM: Still Counting Supply

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia (Photo: Doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia revealed that his party is still conducting further discussions regarding the policy of cheap gas or Certain Natural Gas Prices (HGBT) which ended on December 31, 2024.

"HGBT is being discussed again. Because we are giving gas to industries whose added value processes are domestic and have an impact on employment opportunities. We are currently reviewing this," Bahlil told the media crew at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Building, Friday, January 3.

He continued, the study conducted includes the criteria that will be applied to recipients of this cheap gas policy.

Met separately, the Acting Director General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Dadan Kusdiana, said that the new regulations were still being discussed by taking into account the adequacy of gas supply and state revenues obtained from this policy.

"This HGBT extension policy is still being calculated. We make sure that the gas supply is available and state revenues are not disrupted," he said.

The continuation of this program, said Dadan, must be decided through a meeting by President Prabowo Subianto, including the expansion of the cheap gas recipient sector. The principle will then be contained in the Presidential Regulation (Perpres).

If it is expanded, it must be a trial chaired by the President. So, we'll see what the rules are like," he said.

For information, until now only 7 industries have enjoyed HGBT, namely the fertilizer, petrochemical, steel, oleochemical, ceramics, glass, and rubber gloves industries.