Ada Pertanyaan? Hubungi Kami 
Ada Pertanyaan? Hubungi Kami Kartini L Makmur, Robert Sidauruk
The dollar’s exchange rate against the rupiah has hit the Rp 11,332 mark, the rupiah’s lowest level for 2013. This has resulted in a serious deficit in the State Budget (APBN) as the Government must now allocate more domestic funds to cover dollar payments, particularly to cover oil import costs.
The high level of daily domestic fuel consumption reaching approximately 1.3 million barrels a day leaves the Government with no option other than to import 750,000 barrels of oil a day from exporting countries. This importation burdens the Government with a daily payment expense of at least USD 75 million per day.
To reduce the impact on the State Budget to less than is currently the case, many informed commentators believe that the Government must change its fuel subsidy policy.
The creation of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system developed by PT Pertamina may offer at least a partial solution to this problem. Using this technology, the Government can obtain precise data on the amount of subsided fuel consumed by the nation. Another possible solution is to reduce the fuel subsidy itself.
Member of the National Energy Council, Tumiran, contends that such a reduction, however, must go hand and hand with efforts to optimize biofuel production. According to his calculations, the Government could reduce oil imports by 50,000 barrels a day representing a saving to the State Budget of approximately USD 5 million per day or USD 1.8 billion per year.
The optimization of biofuel production is the most rational solution to minimize oil imports for at least two good reasons.
First, it has a legal basis under Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 32 of 2008 on the Supply, Utilization and Marketing of Biofuel as an Alternative Energy. Second, the realization ofoptimizing biofuel has recorded sound of progress since 2011.
The consumption of biofuels in 2012 reached 669,398 kiloliters (KL), a an increase of a 86.56% over the 2011 consumption of 358,812 KL. For this year up until the end of July, biofuel consumption has already reached 411,977 KL with a production level of 608,000 KL.
However, Kurtubui, the Head of the Petroleum and Energy Studies Center, emphasizes that the Government must continue to encourage all stakeholders to accelerate biofuel production. He said that the Government must ensure that biofuel production is undertaken on a large scale and in asustainable manner.
“If the decision to optimize biofuel has been taken, the Government must guarantee the supply of the product is adequate to answer demand,”says Kurtubi.
(hot/kc)
Kartini L Makmur, Robert Sidauruk
The dollar’s exchange rate against the rupiah has hit the Rp 11,332 mark, the rupiah’s lowest level for 2013. This has resulted in a serious deficit in the State Budget (APBN) as the Government must now allocate more domestic funds to cover dollar payments, particularly to cover oil import costs.
The high level of daily domestic fuel consumption reaching approximately 1.3 million barrels a day leaves the Government with no option other than to import 750,000 barrels of oil a day from exporting countries. This importation burdens the Government with a daily payment expense of at least USD 75 million per day.
To reduce the impact on the State Budget to less than is currently the case, many informed commentators believe that the Government must change its fuel subsidy policy.
The creation of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system developed by PT Pertamina may offer at least a partial solution to this problem. Using this technology, the Government can obtain precise data on the amount of subsided fuel consumed by the nation. Another possible solution is to reduce the fuel subsidy itself.
Member of the National Energy Council, Tumiran, contends that such a reduction, however, must go hand and hand with efforts to optimize biofuel production. According to his calculations, the Government could reduce oil imports by 50,000 barrels a day representing a saving to the State Budget of approximately USD 5 million per day or USD 1.8 billion per year.
The optimization of biofuel production is the most rational solution to minimize oil imports for at least two good reasons.
First, it has a legal basis under Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 32 of 2008 on the Supply, Utilization and Marketing of Biofuel as an Alternative Energy. Second, the realization ofoptimizing biofuel has recorded sound of progress since 2011.
The consumption of biofuels in 2012 reached 669,398 kiloliters (KL), a an increase of a 86.56% over the 2011 consumption of 358,812 KL. For this year up until the end of July, biofuel consumption has already reached 411,977 KL with a production level of 608,000 KL.
However, Kurtubui, the Head of the Petroleum and Energy Studies Center, emphasizes that the Government must continue to encourage all stakeholders to accelerate biofuel production. He said that the Government must ensure that biofuel production is undertaken on a large scale and in asustainable manner.
“If the decision to optimize biofuel has been taken, the Government must guarantee the supply of the product is adequate to answer demand,”says Kurtubi.
(hot/kc)