The Ministry Of Industry Strives For All Factories In Industrial Estates To Get Cheap Gas Programs

Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry Eko SA Cahyanto (center). (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) continues to strive so that cheap gas prices through the Certain Natural Gas Price (HGBT) scheme can be enjoyed by all industries in Industrial Estates (KI) throughout Indonesia.

Based on the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Number 255K of 2024 concerning certain Natural Gas Users and certain Natural Gas Prices in the Industrial Sector, there are seven industrial sectors receiving HGBT.

HGBT for electricity is a maximum of 7 US dollars per MMBTU. Meanwhile, industrial raw materials are pegged at 6.5 US dollars per MMBTU.

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Industry, Eko SA Cahyanto, said that it is necessary to make the industry get cheap gas prices. This is because there are factors such as gas supply, infrastructure and incentives that need to be prepared by the government.

This means that there need to be further steps to ensure the availability of gas and other incentives before this policy can be implemented widely.

"We are still trying, we are still discussing how industrial estates can get HGBT. Not only are it limited to 7 sectors, but all tenants in industrial areas," said Eko in the 2025 National Dialogue agenda with the theme Optimization of Industrial Estates: Efforts to Achieve 8 Percent Economic Growth Target in the Prabowo Government Era Through the Manufacturing Industry at the Ministry of Industry's office, Jakarta, Thursday, February 6.

According to Eko, the availability of natural gas at competitive prices is an important factor in attracting industrial investment in the country.

The reason is, there is a difference between gas prices that have been set in the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and the actual price contracted between gas suppliers and industry.

Thus, HGBT is an important thing to be enjoyed by all industries in the Industrial Estate.

"We believe that. That's why a lot of people don't invest because of the delay in waiting for the gas," said Eko.

In addition, said Eko, the provision of cheap prices for all industrial sectors in industrial estates is an effort to mitigate the impacts of the development of this industry.

"Without the area, it will be even more difficult to develop, so it needs to be managed. So, it can maintain the industrial business climate in it," said Eko.

The 7 industrial sectors that received HGBT, namely the fertilizer, petrochemical, oleochemical, steel, ceramics, glass, and rubber gloves industries.