Government must take strong action against fuel smuggling

The government must immediately take strong action against the rampant fuel smuggling in the country particularly in Jakarta, which occurs openly, according to head of the House of Representatives commission VIII on oil and energy Irwan Prayitno.

Irwan said that it's possible that the smuggling of subsidized fuel out of the country involved people from the state oil and gas firm Pertamina and other government officials.

He was quoted by the Kompas daily as saying that it's impossible that Pertamina didn't know this illegal transaction worth billion of dollars per day in Jakarta alone.

Irwan urged the government to immediately form an integrated team, which involved non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fight the fuel smuggling.

"The government should not just stop at making appeals. It must immediately take action. The smuggling of fuel has caused financial loss to the state finances and is humiliating," Irwan said.

Another legislator Zulfan Lindan insisted that the government should not raise fuel tariff until the fuel smuggling problem had been resolved.

Meanwhile, executive of the Indonesian Corruption Watch Teten Masduki said that the fuel smuggling was an organized crime, which involved people from Pertamina and other government institutions. (*)