LPG subsidy burden climbs as Indonesia considers price hike

LPG subsidy burden climbs as Indonesia considers price hike

The cost of Indonesia's subsidy on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is
increasing, leading to the country paying at least half of the cost of the
fuel, said an official from state-owned energy company Pertamina on Tuesday.

The LPG subsidies are more than customers pay for the fuel in some
instances, said Pertamina Marketing Director Muchammad Iskandar, amid
discussions on increasing LPG prices to reduce government spending.

Net oil importer Indonesia's fuel subsidies have been blamed for creating a
false economy, widespread smuggling and corruption.

Soon after taking office in 2014, President Joko Widodo cut government fuel
spending by more than 90 percent, and shifted the burden of petroleum
subsidies to Pertamina.

Now Pertamina is selling subsidised LPG in 3 kg containers at 4,750 rupiah
($0.3574) per kg, less than half of the company's breakeven price of about
10,500 rupiah per kg, said Isakander.

Millions of Indonesians are taking advantage of a program to shift
households toward LPG and away from using the more costly and dangerous
kerosene for cooking fuel.

"What is more worrying is that the subsidy burden is increasing, because
consumption is increasing because prices are going up," Iskandar told
reporters.

"The numbers of (LPG) users are increasing," he said, noting that people had
switched over from using larger unsubsidised 12 kg LPG canisters to take
advantage of the lower prices.

"Water pumps in paddies once used oil but now use LPG because it's the
cheapest."

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said the 2017 budget
allowed for government to increase LPG prices by 1,000 rupiah, but no
decision has been made yet.

Any increase to LPG and other fuel prices would depend on directions from
President Joko Widodo in a cabinet meeting, Jonan said.

Chief economic minister Darmin Nasution said last month that a price
increase would not happen until Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, ends at
the end of June as part of a plan to control inflation.

Typically inflation picks up in the Muslim-majority country during the
fasting month as people stock up on food, buy new clothes and travel to
their home towns.

Indonesia was expected to import around 70 percent of its demand LPG this
year, a Pertamina official said in January, and imports were expected to
reach 5 million tonnes, up 13 percent from 2016 levels.

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Link to Original Article:
http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL3N1J32X7

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com