Ending the Monopoly

SUDIRMAN Said finally had a chance to speak directly with players in the oil business. At Pertamina's 'Supply Chain Business Gathering' at the Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta, the words of the energy and mineral resources minister sounded like an attack on oil tycoons. He said the oil procurement business could not continue to be manipulated. "The crime cannot be allowed to go on," said Sudirman on Tuesday last week.

The Indonesian Transparency Society co-founder's statement was a reference to the closed pattern of oil procurement in the country. The number of vendors that may supply oil to Indonesia was very limited and dominated by one particular group, despite the fact domestic demand for energy continues to grow. This should have lead to more competitive prices from a more diverse market. With a more open market, "It is an opportunity for you all, but please follow the new way of doing things," said the minister.

December 1, 2015