Batam's ferry operation on strike<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam<\/p>\n
At least 1,000 passengers were stranded at Sekupang domestic port
\nand Telago Punggur port in Batam, Riau Islands following a ferry
\noperators' decision to stop services on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The strike took place following state oil and gas company PT
\nPertamina directive which requires ferry operators to buy
\nsubsidized diesel fuel only at Pertamina's bunker service instead
\nof their regular gasoline station near the ports.<\/p>\n
Halia Maliki, the owner of Surya Gemilang ferry, told The
\nJakarta Post on Thursday that the ferry operators providing ferry
\nservices from Batam to Tanjung Balai Karimun, Tanjung Pinang,
\nDumai, Pekan Baru and Kuala Tungkal in Jambi would continue to
\nhalt operations until Pertamina reviewed the policy.<\/p>\n
He said the operators objected to the policy since it required
\ncomplicated procedures. One of the procedures, he added, required
\nferry operators to pay for the diesel fuel through the bank.<\/p>\n
\"We need diesel fuel fast. How can it work if we have to go
\nthrough many procedures? Besides, Pertamina announced the policy
\nwithout any prior warning. They should have told us a long time
\nago to allow us to make the necessary preparations,\" Halia said.<\/p>\n
Currently, he said, ferry operators have to buy unsubsidized
\ndiesel fuel at gasoline stations for Rp 6,000 (60 U.S. cents) per
\nliter while previously, they could get subsidized diesel fuel for
\nRp 4,250 per liter.<\/p>\n
Chairman of Commercial Shipping Association, Amura Zulkifli,
\nsaid that his association was just informed by Pertamina in Batam
\nthat ferries were required to buy diesel fuel at its bunker
\nservice on Sambu Island, some four kilometers from Sekupang port.<\/p>\n
\"We want to buy our fuel at the gasoline station near our
\nport, at the subsidized price,\" Amura said.<\/p>\n
The strike, which involved around 100 ferries, left at least
\n1,000 passengers wanting to go to nearby islands stranded. Some,
\nwho had been at the port since 5 a.m., had to return home since
\nnone of the ferries were willing to take them.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know what will happen next. When they're on strike,
\nit costs us money. The fares from home to the port are almost the
\nsame as the price of the ferry ticket, now none of the ferries
\nare operating,\" complained Ani, one of the passengers who wanted
\nto visit her relatives in Tanjung Balai Karimun.<\/p>\n
The ferry operators have increased ticket prices following the
\ngovernment's move to raise fuel prices by 126.6 percent on Oct.
\n1.<\/p>\n
Previously, the price of a ticket for a ferry trip from Batam
\nto Tanjung Balai Karimun costed Rp 40,000, but now, as of Oct. 1,
\nthe ticket costs Rp 66,000, while a ticket from Batam to Tanjung
\nPinang is now Rp 45,000 from a previous Rp 25,000.<\/p>\n
Head of Pertamina's office in Batam port, Dani Adriananta,
\nsaid the policy which requires ferry operators to buy subsidized
\ndiesel fuel from Pertamina's bunker service was intended to
\nprevent fuel being smuggled abroad.<\/p>\n
The policy, he said, was also based on Presidential Regulation
\nNo. 55\/2005 on subsidized fuel, citing that Pertamina will
\ndistribute subsidized fuel through the bunker service for
\nIndonesia-flagged ships traveling in the country.<\/p>\n
\"This is the government's policy, we are just implementing it.
\nI also don't want people to be disadvantaged,\" said Dani.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/batams-ferry-operation-on-strike-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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