Organda slams lubricant hoarders, call for action<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Organization of Land Transportation Owners
\n(Organda) called on the government yesterday to impose harsh
\npenalties on hoarders of lubricants and automotive spare parts.<\/p>\n
Chairman Aip Syarifuddin also asked the government to provide
\nspecial exemptions on import duties for businesses dealing in
\nspare parts.<\/p>\n
Without such measures the automotive business will falter
\nsince shop owners can no longer cope with the skyrocketing prices
\nfollowing the plunge in value of the rupiah against the U.S.
\ndollar, he said.<\/p>\n
Aip said raising land transportation tariffs would not help
\nbusinesspeople meet their targets because the prices of the
\nlubricants and spare parts were already too high.<\/p>\n
"And any hike in transportation tariffs will only burden the
\npublic."<\/p>\n
To save the industry from bankruptcy, particularly bus
\ncompanies, a government crackdown on the irresponsible activities
\nof hoarders and dealers is needed, Aip said.<\/p>\n
He was quoted by Antara as saying stockpiling activities have
\ncaused the shortages and price hikes in lubricants and spare
\nparts over the past few months.<\/p>\n
The price of Pertamina's Mesran Prima lubricant, for instance,
\nrose between Rp 7,500 and Rp 11,000 for a one-liter can several
\ndays ago at some gas stations. It was previously priced at Rp
\n5,700.<\/p>\n
Some imported lubricants can no longer be found on the shelves
\nof gas and service stations as well as most supermarkets.<\/p>\n
"We have no stocks at the moment because we can not even get
\nit from our distributors," the owner of a car repair shop in
\nKebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, said.<\/p>\n
"In the meantime, it's better to sell whatever we have in our
\nshop now instead of buying new items at prices which have
\nskyrocketed."<\/p>\n
Some distributors of locally made lubricants have decided to
\nillegally smuggle goods out of the country and sell them to
\nneighboring countries for bigger profits.<\/p>\n
Aip said last week's market operation by state-owned oil and
\ngas company PT Pertamina and its dealers -- which delivered large
\nquantities of lubricants to gas stations across the city -- had
\nfailed to stabilize the market.<\/p>\n
"The price is still higher and the available stocks are still
\nlimited.".<\/p>\n
He said traders have not only increased the prices of imported
\nspare parts but also local products.<\/p>\n
"The price of tires, for example, which are locally produced,
\nhave gone up to Rp 800,000 each from the previous price of Rp
\n380,000. This is already beyond belief."<\/p>\n
Aip said Organda members would meet to discuss their formal
\nproposal to the government.<\/p>\n
The organization represents the owners of 10,000 city buses,
\n3,000 intercity buses and 20,000 taxis.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is home to about 70,000 public transportation
\nvehicles, including a large number of mikrolet (minivans). (bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/organda-slams-lubricant-hoarders-call-for-action-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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