JAKARTA, BN NASIONAL – The Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) has revealed that many mining vehicles still use subsidized diesel fuel.
Erika Retnowati, Head of BPH Migas, stated that the Directorate General of Minerals and Coal (Ditjen Minerba) at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has issued a circular prohibiting the use of subsidized diesel fuel for mining vehicles.
“Regarding vehicles transporting coal, there is already a circular from Ditjen Minerba prohibiting coal transport vehicles from using subsidized diesel fuel,” Erika said during a working meeting with Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) on Monday (11/18/2024).
However, Erika continued, many companies in the field still do not comply with the regulations and continue to use subsidized fuel for mining vehicles.
“The rules already exist, but in practice, there are still many violations in the field. We are aware of this,” she said.
To address this issue, Erika mentioned that her agency conducts regular field monitoring to prevent unwanted occurrences.
“Routine monitoring here doesn’t mean we schedule it and then announce when and where we are going. It doesn’t work like that. We usually base it on verification results and data we have to determine where we need to conduct field inspections,” Erika explained.
In addition, BPH Migas utilizes an application called Sylvia to monitor gas station nozzles and collaborates with law enforcement agencies.
“We have also partnered with law enforcement agencies. We already have agreements with the Police, TNI, and Bais Intelkam. We’ve established quite a number of collaborations, including with regional governments,” she added.
BPH Migas also performs integrated supervision with the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) and the Directorate General of Oil and Gas as part of a task force for oversight.
“Due to our limited personnel, it’s challenging for us to cover the entire country. Therefore, we need assistance from local governments, especially in overseeing and issuing recommendation letters,” she concluded.
