Kerosene gets harder to find<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
More reports of kerosene shortages surfaced on Friday, with
\nstate-owned oil company Pertamina trying to wash its hands of the
\ncrisis, which has raised fears of social unrest in some parts of
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Kerosene vendors in Jakarta told The Jakarta Post on Friday
\nthat shortages had hit the city and surrounding areas over the
\npast few days, pushing prices up to Rp 1,200 per litter, double
\nthe normal price of Rp 600.<\/p>\n
Vendors also accused Pertamina of deliberately reducing the
\nsupply of kerosene in order to control the price.<\/p>\n
\"Pertamina has reduced its supply to distributors by half
\nsince early December 2001,\" said Rudi, a kerosene supplier in
\nTanjung Priok, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Reports from Makassar, South Sulawesi said that the province
\nhad been experiencing kerosene shortages since November 2001,
\nwith prices rising to Rp 3,700 per liter, compared to its normal
\nprice of Rp 900 per liter.<\/p>\n
Rudi said he usually received 10,000 liters of kerosene per
\nweek in 2001 but had been receiving half that amount since
\nPertamina reduced the quota in early December.<\/p>\n
Another kerosene supplier in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta,
\ntold the Post that some distributors were hoarding kerosene.<\/p>\n
\"It's common. They only want to make a profit by selling it
\nlater when the new price comes into effect,\" said the supplier,
\nspeaking under condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
Some people might receive a windfall from the situation, but,
\nironically, it is the low-income people who will suffer the most
\nbecause they are the most regular customers.<\/p>\n
A food vendor in Grogol, West Jakarta, for example, complained
\nthat the shortage of kerosene had caused problems for his
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
\"I am spending more money on purchasing kerosene but I can't
\nincrease prices to my customers because they will just go
\nelsewhere and buy from other vendors,\" said Jaja.<\/p>\n
Jaja bought a liter of kerosene for Rp 800, which is Rp 200
\nhigher than usual.<\/p>\n
In Bogor, West Java, people had been experiencing kerosene
\nshortages even before the Idul Fitri holidays. Prices have also
\nsoared to Rp 1,200 per liter from the usual price of Rp 600.<\/p>\n
\"We don't know whether it is true that kerosene is being
\nhoarded, we are still checking with related agencies,\" said the
\nchairman of Bogor Council's Commission B, Nuruzzaman.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, local legislators slammed the West Java
\nadministration for its failure to address the issue of kerosene
\nshortages, noting that the issue always seemed to occur every
\ntime the government was about to raise fuel prices.<\/p>\n
\"The government should know and take measures so that the
\ngeneral public don't have to buy kerosene at high prices,\"
\nlegislator Yudi Widiama Adia said.<\/p>\n
Kerosene shortages hit West Java during the Idul Fitri
\nfestivities in mid-December, with prices ranging between Rp 900
\nand Rp 1,500 per liter, compared to the official price of Rp 500
\nper liter.<\/p>\n
Until Friday, Pertamina had already sold over one million
\nliters of kerosene through special market operations in Cianjur,
\nSukabumi, Garut, Tasikmalaya, Ciamis and Bandung.<\/p>\n
The government is planing to increase fuel prices later this
\nmonth by removing the existing subsidy.<\/p>\n
Cirebon Military Commander Moch. Irrianto expressed fear that
\nthe kerosene shortage would trigger social unrest in the region.<\/p>\n
\"I have reported the problem to Siliwangi Military Command and
\nwe are anticipating public anger over the shortage of kerosene,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Pertamina's senior manager for fuel distribution
\nTuti Anggraeni said Pertamina had supplied fuel to areas
\nsuffering from the kerosene shortage.<\/p>\n
\"That is all that we can do. We can't stop people from storing
\nfuel when they learn that fuel prices will be increased,\" Tuti
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
She said Pertamina had been selling 20,000 to 30,000 liters of
\nfuel everyday to areas experiencing kerosene shortages at
\nsubsidized prices.<\/p>\n
Tuti added that Pertamina's fuel stock was sufficient to meet
\nthe nation's fuel demands for the next 25 days.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kerosene-gets-harder-to-find-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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