JAKARTA. The government will provide 30.000 household gas connections in areas near gas sources in Indonesia.

"This year the government has targeted to give 59,809 household gas connections," Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan noted in a press statement received here on Saturday evening.

The government has allocated Rp817 billion of the budget to provide 59,809 household gas connections in 10 locations. The government plans to offer three million household gas connections by 2025 and another five million connections by 2030.

"The people can save as much as Rp90 thousand per month, as they use the gas for household purposes. When people use the three-kilogram subsidized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), they will spend Rp130 thousand per month," he remarked.

A total of 10 districts in six provinces will be offered 59,809 household gas connections in 2017. A total of 6,031 household gas connections will be provided in Musi Banyuasin, five thousand in Mojokerto City, 10,321 in Bandar Lampung, 7,426 in Kemayoran low-cost apartments, 5,375 in Pali, 3,270 in Pekanbaru, eight thousand in Bontang, 4,500 in Samarinda, and 5,101 in Mojokerto.

During the 2009-2016 period, the government, with the support of PGN and Pertagas Niaga, had offered 185,991 household gas connections in 26 areas across 14 provinces.

The construction of household gas networks is one of the main priorities of President Joko Widodo. The pipeline gas network program is part of a national priority program. The government has committed to providing environment-friendly and low-cost energy to the people.

Editor: Rizki Caturini