Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government is considering raising the price of gas fuel as part of its efforts to boost the use of the alternative energy, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Susilo Siswoutomo said.

Speaking at a gas business forum here on Thursday, he said the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, together with the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), is still computing a rise in the price of gas fuel, which currently stands at Rp3,100 per gasoline-liter-equivalent.

"The price of gas fuel must be interesting. We, along with Bappenas, are still calculating the accurate price," he said.

However, he declined to elaborate on the range of gas fuel price hike.

In principle, the gas fuel price must be more competitive than gasoline price to encourage consumers to switch to that fuel, he said.

The price of gas fuel must be 65-70 percent of the price of fuel oil to enable motorists to save spending on fuel.

If the price of subsidized premium gasoline is Rp6,500 a liter, the price of gas fuel must range from Rp4,225 to Rp4,550 per gasoline-liter-equivalent, he said.

He added that if the price of gas fuel is raised the number of gas fueling stations must be increased accordingly.

The government had asked operators of gasoline stations to provide gas dispensers, he said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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