Consumer group to probe gasoline sold in Jakarta

Consumer group to probe gasoline sold in Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): The chairperson of the Indonesian Consumers
Protection Foundation said yesterday that the foundation plans to
sample and survey the gasoline and diesel fuel sold in Jakarta.

"The foundation will conduct the survey in 1995 and samples of
gasoline will be taken from gas stations all over Jakarta,"
Zoemrotin K. Soesilo said, adding that similar testing was done
almost ten years ago in 1985.

Zoemrotin said that recent public complaints about the bad
quality of gasoline and diesel fuel sold in Jakarta, and also
last week's arrest of a married couple for selling diesel fuel
blended with lubricating oil and kerosene, prompted the
foundation to conduct the survey.

The married couple, identified by the police as TM and Yul,
own a gasoline distribution company in Tangerang.

However, J. Damanik, the acting head of Jakarta fuel
distribution and superintendent's office of Pertamina, said that
there are no gas stations in Jakarta selling gasoline mixed with
other substances.

He said that Pertamina has tested the quality of almost all of
its gas stations in town and has never found any "bogus" gasoline
sold.

Kompas daily reported on Friday that Damanik pledged to take
stern measures against any gas stations in the city found to have
mixed gasoline with kerosene, though it will do so anonymously.

Zoemrotin lashed out at this decision, saying it was
ineffective.

She partly attributes the gasoline problem gasoline in Jakarta
to collusion among officials at Pertamina's depot, gas station
owners and employees and, the gasoline truck drivers.

Zoemrotin said that to decrease the possibility of such
practices and to increase the standard of gasoline in Jakarta,
the government should establish another body specially in charge
of supervising the quality of gasoline and recording the amount
of gasoline pumped.

At the moment, the only institution which supervises the
quality of gasoline is Pertamina.

Last year, a joint task force of Pertamina and the
coordinating agency for the support of national stability and
security, made on-site inspections to monitor the quality of fuel
and lubricating oil sold in local markets.(mas)