Government appoints Pertamina to import 4.2 mln lpg cylinders

"We still need another 4.2 million cylinders this year. That`s why in the meeting we agreed to import them with Pertamina as the importer," Pertamina President Director Ari Soemarno said after a special meeting on LPG cylinders at the vice presidential office here.

Ari said the program was expected to be completed in 2010 instead of 2012 as originally planned. Under the program, 42 million families would be eligible for LPG cylinders.

To meet the need of 42 million families, at least 82 million gas cylinders would be needed with each of them having three cylinders consisting of one for daily use, the second for refill at Pertamina, and the third one in transit, he said.