Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government should make further efforts to popularize the proper use of liquefied natural gas (LPG)in an effort to prevent gas canister blasts, a legislator said.

"The government should continue to provide guidance on the proper use of LPG canisters in regions where people already use gas cylinders," Lawmaker Tjatur Sapato Edy of the National Mandate Party faction of the House of Representatives (DPR) said here on Friday.

He said that the people were now using gas stove/canisters based on the government`s kerosene-to-gas conversion program.

Tjatur said it was not enough for the government to conduct popularization on the safe use of gas canisters in 132 spots.

"Popularization in 132 spots is not yet effective because it is not able yet to cover all gas canister users in Indonesia," he said.

"In Indonesia there are about 70,000 villages. If socialization is only carried out in 132 points, it would not yet be effective," the lawmaker said.

He said that the government needed to conduct activities to provide guidance for people in at least 40,000 places.

"The people should really be given a clear guidance so that they would really understand the way how to use gas stoves/canisters, including their canisters, pipes, regulators, valves and stoves," he said.

The government introduced its kerosene-to-LPG conversion policy in mid 2007 as part of its efforts to reduce kerosene subsidy in the state budget, and provided the poor with 3 kg-gas canisters plus stoves for free.

The number of 3-kg cylinders distributed so far had reached about 60 million units from the 45 million packages which were distributed since 2007.

Substandard products have caused fatalities among the public. The government noted that in 2007, there were five cases of gas canister explosions with injured victims. In 2008 there were 27 cases with two dead and 35 injured while in 2009 there were 30 blasts killing 12 victims and injuring 48 others.

Up to June 2010, a total of 33 blasts with 8 dead and 44 injured have been recorded.(*)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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