This call comes on the back of EMOI cutting off the gas supply to the province when its contract expired on 31 December 2003.

"The cutting off of gas [is] threatening the jobs of 7,000 people in fertiliser and paper companies in the province," said the Aceh government in a press release to the media.

T. Syaiful Achmad of the Golkar party has heeded the call of the Aceh government and has called for action to be taken by Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, to find a solution to the problem.

Ahmad Farhan Hamid of the Reform party wants central government intervention to go a step further. "The President should also play a role in resolving the dispute," said Ahmad.

President of gas consumer, ASEAN Aceh Fertilizer (AAF) Rauf Purnama, said on Wednesday that the shortage of natural gas had forced the company to suspend operations, causing a total loss of US$3 million a month, including $1.5 million in potential revenue and $1.5 million in maintenance and salaries.

The firm has continued to remunerate its workers and maintain its facilities despite the suspension of operations.