Indonesia will continue to economize on fuel oil consumption even after the world oil price has eventually declined, a cabinet minister said on Thursday.

"We will launch a campaign to promote the saving of fuel oil even in a situation where the world oil price is going down," National Development Planning Minister /National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) Head Paskah Suzetta said.

Paskah made the statement after the signing of a government program and action plan document between Beppenas and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), according to a report by Antara news agency.

Paskah said the country would continue to retrench fuel oil consumption because the country's oil resources were running out significantly at a rate of about 20 to 35 percent.

He said the campaign on efficient use of energy would be carried out, among other things, through advertisements.

The minister said the energy efficiency drive would be regulated through a ruling which carries penalties for violators.

He also noted that the President had issued an instruction on the economization of energy consumption and steps to be taken to that end.

Paskah said if the country carried out energy economization and diversification, it would save a subsidy of about 30 trillion rupiah (3.5 billion US dollars).

The diversification could among other things be carried out using gas and coal, while reducing imports to 50 million kilometer from the current 59.4 million kilometers per annum.

Source: Xinhua