TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Pertamina Retail, a subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, is on the process of increasing the number of its Company Owned Company Operated (COCO) gas station.
Toharso, Pertamina Retail CEO said that the ideal number of COCO gas station should be no less than 20 percent of the company's total number of outlets, which currently reaches up to 5,200 outlets. "So, ideally, there has to be 1,000 [COCO gas stations]," Toharso said on Friday, September 30, 2016.
Toharso said that the target is expected to be achieved in 2020 while currently; the company has only 136 COCO gas stations.
Toharso explained that the company has made plans to achieve the target. "The first priority is by acquisitioning private-run gas stations," Toharso said. The second plan is to cooperate with private parties to manage a gas station, while building new gas stations will be put as a last resort.
Toharso asserted that acquiring private-run gas companies will be more effective compared to constructing new gas stations because constructing new gas station would require 25 licenses, which can take up to one year to acquire.
"Not to mention licenses outside the government jurisdiction, like agreements with local residents," Toharso said.
In addition, Toharso said that private parties are eager to sell their gas stations to Pertamina. Toharso claimed that presently, there are 280 private-run gas stations being offered to the state-owned company.
VINDRY FLORENTIN
