Jakarta (ANTARA) – State-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina’s subsidiary, PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, unveiled, Friday, that it has provided an additional stock of up to 700 thousand three-kg gas canisters to meet increased demand in several regions.The regions that benefited from the additional stocks comprised North Sumatra, Bangka Belitung Islands, Bengkulu, East Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan, as well as all provinces in Sulawesi Island. ccording to Pertamina Patra Niaga’s Corporate Secretary, Irto Ginting, the company recorded a two-percent increase in consumption of these subsidized gas cylinders in July as compared to that recorded in the previous month. The increased consumption that exceeded the company’s quota occurred following several religious festivities and the long holidays, he noted, adding that Pertamina has responded immediately to deal with the condition. “First, we coordinate with local governments whose regions potentially need the additional stocks. By doing so, we are able to meet their demands, accelerate distribution, or conduct market operations,” he stated. Second, the company continues to working closely with the police in anticipation of misuses of the subsidized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters, Ginting remarked. “We do appreciate the police’s crackdowns on perpetrators in Karawang (West Java), and Padang (West Sumatra),” he noted.

Source: Antara News Agency