Regarding The Prohibition Of LNG Exports, Coordinating Minister For Maritime Affairs And Fisheries: Wait For A Meeting With President Jokowi

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed that the government is trying to stop the export of liquefied natural gas or LNG in the near future.

Regarding this, Luhut admitted that he was still waiting for President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)'s approval.

"If the contract is completed, we will not extend it. That is the point. But we will wait for a meeting with the president," Luhut told reporters, Monday, July 24.

Luhut said this was intended to optimize gas for domestic needs such as petrochemical industries that really needed gas for operations.

Moreover, he said, the fulfillment of gas needs as raw materials is still imported from abroad.

"All of our gas that we can use in industrial downstreaming, why should we export it? So far, we have imported LNG exports again. Why not make them domestically?" Luhut continued.

Previously, the Deputy for Finance and Commercialization of SKK Migas Kurnia Chairi said the government's policy regarding gas was for domestic purposes.

"Indeed, our policy is to use it for domestic purposes. So we need to continue to encourage domestic industries," said Kurnia, quoted on Saturday, July 22.

For this reason, Kurnia continued, his party will continue to encourage the use of domestic industries such as the methanol factory in Bojonegoro, blue ammonia.

Thus, in the future investors will take advantage of the gas supply in the regions.

Kurnia revealed that currently the portion of gas utilization for domestic has reached 65 percent, while for exports it is 35 percent.