Senin, 14 Juli 2008

Energy subsidy may hit Rp 300 trillion in 2009

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta Post, 07/09/2008.

The government may spend Rp 300 trillion (US$32.55 billion) on energy subsidies next year, or close to a 50 percent rise from this year, assuming oil prices average $140 per barrel, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said Tuesday.

For this year, the government has estimated energy subsidy allocations -- including fuel and electricity subsidies -- at Rp 200.6 trillion, assuming the ICP to be $110 per barrel. The estimate is a revision of an earlier Rp 187.1 trillion state-budget projection, which set the ICP at $95 per barrel.

The fuel subsidy accounts for about 65 percent of the total energy subsidy.

[Full article]

Bigger power crisis looms

Editorial, Jakarta Post 07/03/2008.

The government seems increasingly unable to cope with the acute power shortage that has gotten worse over the past three years. Power blackouts have hit more areas and happen more often. There is almost no improvement in the supply-capacity ratio, in sharp contrast to high growth in power consumption, generated by comparatively strong economic growth (5.5 to 6.3 percent).

The reserve margin of supply capacity of the state electricity company (PLN) is now so low, at just half of the recommended minimum 30 percent required to ensure supply stability (above the demand during peak-load period), that a stoppage at just one major power station could cause a massive blackout.

[Full article]

Consumption keeps growing as energy infrastructure worsens

By Hanan Nugroho, Jakarta Post 07/14/2008.

While domestic demand for oil is escalating uncontrollably (12 percent for gasoline and 15 percent for diesel fuel in 2007) and domestic oil production has been on a continuous slide for the last 13 years, it is sad to find that oil prices are skyrocketing and our energy infrastructure is deteriorating. What will happen next?

[Full article]