Hoarding by govt distributors blamed for kerosene shortages<\/p>\n
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang<\/p>\n
Kerosene has become very scarce in the past two months in
\nSemarang, the capital of Central Java, and neighboring areas due
\nto a lack of supply, causing its price to soar.<\/p>\n
The shortages of kerosene come ahead of state-owned Pertamina
\noil company's plan to raise the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas
\n(LPG). However, the firm blamed the problem on kerosene
\ndistribution irregularities.<\/p>\n
Housewives in Semarang have to wait in long lines to buy
\nkerosene for up to Rp 1,500 per liter (18 U.S. cents). The
\ngovernment-regulated price is Rp 1,000 per liter.<\/p>\n
\"Although it's expensive, I still have to wait in line and buy
\nit. I have to be able to cook,\" Sunarti, a housewife from Jangli
\nneighborhood in Semarang, said over the weekend.<\/p>\n
The shortages have prompted the Semarang branch of the
\nPeople's Humanitarian and Justice Organization (Humanika) to
\nstage a protest at Pertamina's marketing office on Jl. Thamrin in
\nSemarang.<\/p>\n
Semarang's Humanika chairman, Agus Salim al Banjaro, demanded
\nthat Pertamina stop the kerosene monopoly and arrest those
\ninvolved in deliberately hoarding the necessary commodity in a
\nbid to squeeze local people dry to increase profits.<\/p>\n
In a response to the protest, Pertamina's Central Java and
\nYogyakarta Marketing Unit IV officials only reiterated that the
\nscarcity of kerosene was allegedly due to irregularities by
\ndistributors.<\/p>\n
\"There are possibilities that kerosene for households is being
\nused for industrial purposes,\" said I Gusti Bagus Wisnu, head of
\nthe office, in a reference to the unsubsidized kerosene that
\nlarge companies are required to purchase.<\/p>\n
He asserted that Pertamina had distributed 4,766 kiloliters of
\nkerosene to areas in Central Java and Yogyakarta each day in
\norder to fulfill the daily needs for household use, which is
\nnormally adequate.<\/p>\n
For example, said Wisnu district in Semarang is supplied with
\n425,000 liters per day, which is more than adequate for the needs
\nof the 1.45 million residents.<\/p>\n
\"We had earlier estimated that the increase in demand for
\nkerosene was caused by an increase in the LPG price. We had also
\nassumed it was caused by drivers and fishermen mixing the
\nkerosene with diesel fuel in their diesel engines in a desperate
\nbid to keep their fuel costs lower. But our surveys in the field
\nlast Wednesday found that our suspicions were not verified,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Wisnu said the suspicion that local fishermen's demand for
\nmore kerosene was also to blame for the shortages was wrong too.<\/p>\n
For example, in the fishing village of Tambaklorok, Semarang,
\nthere are 16 kerosene depots and about 400 retailers to meet the
\ndemands of local fishermen for 325,000 liters per month.<\/p>\n
\"Thus far, we have never run out of kerosene. We have always
\nfulfilled the demands of local residents,\" said Djumani, who
\noperates a kerosene depot.<\/p>\n
He confirmed there were many fishermen who mixed kerosene with
\ndiesel fuel as an economic step for their boat engines. \"But the
\nneed is not too high. We can fill the demands. I was rather
\nsurprised that people are lining up to buy kerosene,\" Djumani
\nclaimed.<\/p>\n
Pertamina's spokesman for Central Java and Yogyakarta admitted
\nhe could not identify those who were to blame for the
\nirregularities in distribution.<\/p>\n
\"But we don't know who is involved in the irregularities,
\nwhether from Pertamina to distributors, or from distributors to
\ndepots, or other parties,\" Wisnu asserted.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hoarding-by-govt-distributors-blamed-for-kerosene-shortages-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}