Decrease in Industrial Gas Prices, Credibility of President Jokowi Is at Risk

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta, Forum of Natural Gas Industry (FIPGB) assesses the determination of the decline in gas prices for industry into betting credibility of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"The credibility of the President is currently at stake, Presidential Regulation No. 40/2016 is still not realized," said FIPGB Chairman Achmad Safiun to INDUSTRY.co.id in Jakarta, Thursday (22/2/2018).

He added that Presidential Decree Number 40/2016 has a very strong legal force. "This is the form of the Presidential Regulation, so the law is already strong," he said.

According Safiun, President Jokowi has instructed his minister to immediately realize the Presidential Regulation.

"The President has instructed the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, and Mrs. Sri Mulyani has been able to, so what should be waiting for," said Safiun.

Furthermore, he asked the President to be angry once, because the dead industry will not live again. "The government should not think what, the important road industry, because the industry is the backbone of Indonesia's economy," he said.

As is known, already a year more since President Joko Widodo issued Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No.40 of 2016 on the determination of natural gas prices. Then coupled with Presidential Instruction is on October 4, 2016 for industrial gas price of US $ 5-6 per MMBTU. In fact, until now the price of gas for industry is still in the range of US $ 9-9,5 per MMBTU.

The decline in industrial gas prices is believed to spur national economic growth, while too high gas prices today are considered not only undermine the competitiveness and domestic products in the market, as well as making the line of investors refrain from investing in Indonesia to invest in industrial sectors .