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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Sunday asked the people to switch from kerosene to liquefied petroleum gas as part of efforts to save the state budget amidst surging global oil prices.

The people who were willing to use LPG were "heroes", the president said at a dialog with residents of Cempaka Baru in Central Jakarta.

"I told them that they are heroes," he said.

He said the government would continue to intensify the implementation of the kerosene-to-gas conversion program to reduce fuel subsidy.

The global crude prices are hovering above US$100 a barrel, well above the assumed oil price in the 2008 state budget. The government is still subsidizing certain types of fuel so that the surge in global oil prices has burdened the state budget. The massive use of gas is expected to reduce the burden of the state budget.

The president said the use of gas was more economical and environmentally friendly than using kerosene.

During the visit, Yudhoyono was accompanied by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister/State Secretary Hatta Rajasa, Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, Central Jakarta Mayor Silviana Murni and president director of state oil and gas company Pertamina, Ari Sumarno.

Fauzi Bowo said nearly 95 percent of low-income households in the capital had received free gas cylinders distributed under the kerosene-to-gas conversion program.

The rest who had not received the gas cylinders were living in the areas bordering Depok, Tangerang and West Java, he said.

The president expressed hope that the Jakarta city administration`s success in implementing the program would set an example to other major cities in the country.

Since the program was launched in Jakarta some time ago, the use of kerosene in the capital plunged by six-fold to 600,000 kiloliters from 3.6 million kiloliters, he said.

The head of state said he had received a report that a few gas cylinders were of bad quality, but added this should not necessarily discourage the people from using gas.

To that end, he asked governors and mayors to familiarize the people with the safe use of gas. (*)

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