Indonesian state company withdraws 2 million faulty gas canisters

Indonesia's state oil and gas company Pertamina has withdrawn around 2 million faulty 3-kg gas canisters from circulation following a series of gas canister explosions in the country, Vice President Boediono said.

"I have just been informed that nearly 2 million 3-kg gas canisters have been replaced with new ones," he said as was quoted by Antara during an inspection at a gas canister crisis centre at the Pertamina head office in Jakarta on Monday (August 23).

Boediono said that any other faulty 3-kg canisters found by Pertamina would still be withdrawn and replaced with new ones.

The gas canisters would be re-checked, he said adding if they did not meet requirements they would be withdrawn.

Boediono explained that the withdrawal was part of the government's plan to soon pull out nearly 9 million 3-kg gas canisters which do not meet the Indonesian National Standard.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono said earlier the faulty 3-kg gas canisters would be withdrawn when they were refilled at Pertamina depots.

Data from the National Certification Board suggest that most of 3-kg gas canisters procured under the first phase of kerosene-to-gas conversion programme was problematic.

The Indonesian Consumers' Protection Foundation said earlier nearly 66 per cent of 44 million 3-kg gas canisters, 50 per cent of gas stoves, 20 per cent of nozzles and even 100 per cent of hoses of the first package were defective.

 The Jakarta Post / Asia News Network