TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) has spoken about a monopoly of avtur allegedly committed by state-owned gas and oil company Pertamina. The ministry official Fajar Harry Sampurno said that the country’s price of avtur is very competing.

“The current price of avtur is continuously declining since November, and that has been announced by the Minister. So the avtur price is competitive,” said Fajar when met at the SOE ministry building, Jakarta, Tuesday, February 12.

Fajar continued to assert that the avtur price in Indonesia, particularly in Soekarno Hatta International Airport is very competitive. “We stand in the third rank in Southeast Asia,” he added.

When asked about the follow-up plan of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi to summon Pertamina CEO Nicke Widyawati in light of the alleged monopoly, Fajar remained silent. “I don’t know. I cannot answer that,” he stressed. “Moreover, if it’s related to the low occupancy of hotels, that’s too far [to link to the issue].”

Earlier reports suggested that President Joko Widodo planned to call Pertamina regarding an alleged monopoly in avtur after the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) complained of the matter. Jokowi claimed that he was shocked to hear the information.

MUHAMMAD HENDARTYO | FRISKI RIANA