Black markets thrive as fuel crisis worsens
Black markets thrive as fuel crisis worsens
The Jakarta Post, Kupang/Yogya/Batam/Samarinda/Jambi/Manado
The price of premium gasoline soared by up to 500 percent in some
provinces on Wednesday as the country's fuel shortage bit deeper,
with the National Police stationing officers at gas stations
around the country to prevent outbreaks of violence among
frustrated customers.
Long queues were seen at gas stations in all parts of the
archipelago, with many people carrying jerrycans attempting to
stockpile fuel in anticipation of prices rising further.
Kupang city in East Nusa Tenggara was the worst-hit areas,
with hundreds of people seen waiting in line on Wednesday night
at gas stations in queues up to three kilometers long.
"The employee at gasoline stations are rationing gasoline in
order to ensure people get their fair share," said Antonius
Amsekan, who had waited four hours to get gasoline after queuing
at a station since 4 a.m.
At roadside retail outlets, the price of premium gasoline had
reached Rp 12,500 (US$1.3) a liter, or about five times the
normal price. Pertamax, a premium variant, which officially costs
Rp 4,000 a liter, was not available in most gasoline stations in
the city.
"A tanker carrying 2,500 tons of premium gasoline from
Surabaya will arrive in the city on Friday, so the gasoline
shortage is expected to end the next day," said Winrian, a
Pertamina official in Kupang.
In Jambi, the price of premium gasoline rose three-fold in
retail outlets on Wednesday, while passengers in minivans and
buses were asked to pay more for tickets, reflecting the higher
prices.
"It is hard to find gasoline and its price has been
increasing. We have to increase the transportation costs in order
to prevent losses," a minivan driver, Udin, said.
Normally, people paid Rp 1,200 for a short minivan ride, but
now they were being asked to pay Rp 2,000, he said.
In Samarinda, East Kalimantan, some gas stations closed early
after supplies were exhausted at 10 a.m, leading to longer queues
at other stations in the city.
In Manado, North Sulawesi, shortages were also apparent, with
Pertamina reducing premium gasoline supplies to stations from 450
kiloliters a day to 350 kiloliters for the past three days.
One place not affected by the shortage was Batam, where
supplies to the Bintan and Sambu island depots were normal.
Responding to the shortage, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
called on the public to be efficient in using energy, while
Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono X asked people not to travel
by car or motorcycle unless it was absolutely necessary.
The shortage is caused by state oil company Pertamina cutting
back fuel supplies to the regions so as not to overshoot its
government set supply quota and pay financial penalties. National
demand is currently about 10 percent higher than the budgeted
supplies.
The company announced on Wednesday it was distributing more
fuel across the country to ease the shortage.
"Pertamina offices will open for 24 hours to help tackle the
fuel shortage problems," Pertamina president director Widya
Purnama said as quoted by Antara.
Separately, the National Police Headquarters announced on
Wednesday that it had confiscated 3.4 million liters of fuel from
fuel hoarders since last year. Police had arrested 304 suspects
in 231 hoarding and smuggling cases, National Police spokesman
Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis said.