Banten Governor Andra Soni has agreed to a Cooperation Agreement with the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) to strengthen the distribution of subsidized fuel in the Banten region.
One of the goals of this cooperation is to strengthen synergy so that the need for subsidized fuel among the public can be properly mapped, ensuring the correct volume and accurate targeting.
The cooperation agreement, which covers control, guidance, and supervision in the distribution of Certain Types of Fuel (JBT) and Specially Assigned Types of Fuel (JBKP) in Banten Province, was signed at the BPH Migas office on Jalan Kapten Tendean No. 28, Mampang Prapatan, Jakarta.
Andra Soni revealed that he often hears complaints directly from fishermen and farmers in the field about the difficulty of obtaining subsidized fuel.
Through this cooperation, he hopes the distribution can be more accurate in both volume and targeting.
“I often hear stories when I go out into the community, especially from fishermen and farmers, who complain about the difficulty of getting subsidized fuel. This cooperation is, in part, to strengthen synergy so that their needs can be properly mapped,” he said.
Furthermore, Andra Soni believes this cooperation can encourage an increase in Regional Original Revenue (PAD) through the motor vehicle fuel tax sector.
“We are confident this cooperation will be very beneficial. Based on the experience of 21 other provinces that have already established cooperation with BPH Migas. We hope their success stories can be replicated in Banten,” he added.
He also emphasized the importance of joint supervision to ensure the distribution of JBT and JBKP in the regencies/cities throughout Banten Province runs smoothly and is controlled.
“Through this cooperation, I also hope for the optimization of supervision over the distribution of subsidized fuel in Banten Province to proceed safely. Let us work together to prevent the misuse of subsidized fuel,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of BPH Migas, Erika Retnowati, expressed appreciation to the Banten Provincial Government. She emphasized that Banten Province becomes the 22nd province to sign the Cooperation Agreement out of the total in Indonesia.
The implementation of the cooperation will be carried out through joint supervision, socialization to both consumer users and related agencies, as well as technical guidance on the use of the X-Star application.
This application is considered strategic because it is capable of integrating data between BPH Migas, the Banten Provincial Government, and Pertamina.
“The advantage of the X-Star application is that consumer data and fuel volume will be the same between BPH Migas, the provincial government, and Pertamina. This way, we have one accurate database for future needs planning,” she explained.
Erika views this cooperation as very strategic in realizing better energy governance while also having a real impact on community welfare, especially for vulnerable groups who are highly dependent on subsidized fuel.
