Cuts to kerosene quota sparks uproar in North Sulawsi province
Cuts to kerosene quota sparks uproar in North Sulawsi province
Jongker Rumthe, The Jakarta Post, Manado, North Sulawesi
Regional governments in North Sulawesi have expressed their
concern at the central government's policy of cutting the quota
of subsidized kerosene for North Sulawesi province by 10 percent
starting Jan. 1.
They also condemned state oil and gas company PT Pertamina,
which is responsible for subsidized kerosene distribution
nationwide, for being late in informing the public over the quota
cut.
The quota has been in effect since Jan. 1, but the company has
only just revealed this to the public.
Pertamina's branch and marketing head in Manado, Achmad Noor,
explained recently that subsidized kerosene supplies for North
Sulawesi, which earlier stood at 419 kiloliters (kl) per day,
would be cut to 354 kl per day starting Jan. 1.
"We had to impose the policy due to the surplus supply of
kerosene in North Sulawesi," said Noor recently, adding that the
supply of unsubsidized kerosene was still normal.
He explained that the kerosene quota was based on the National
Development Planning Board's (Bappenas) guidelines that allot
3.75 liters of kerosene per person per month. The province had
thus far received 6 liters of kerosene per person per month. The
amount will be reduced to 4.5 liters per person per month.
"With a population of 2,333,168 people, the new quota for
North Sulawesi will be 127,425 kl annually. The new quota is
sufficient to meet people's needs. Moreover, there is still a
surplus of 22,238 kl per year. I don't believe there will be
uproar over this," said Noor, at a hearing recently headed by
Second Assistant of the North Sulawesi administration, Max
Raintung, and head of its economics bureau, Abdi Buchary.
However, soon after the meeting, representatives from the
regencies and mayoralties immediately protested, saying Pertamina
had been slow to inform the public of the new policy.
An official at the Manado municipality, A.S. Dasir, expressed
his surprise at the reduction in kerosene supplies because Manado
and its surrounding areas have been facing a shortage of the fuel
for the past year.
"People have been queuing for kerosene every day, even when
supplies weren't cut, let alone when they're cut. The situation
will surely worsen," said Dasir.
Kerosene is the main fuel for cooking for the majority of
households in North Sulawesi. The fuel is also important for
fishermen whose boats are powered by kerosene.
Representatives from the Minahasa and Tomohon regencies
refused to accept the new policy, and feared facing their
constituents who have been having difficulty getting kerosene.
"Our people will certainly rise up against this policy,
because they have been facing kerosene shortages," said a senior
official from Minahasa regental administration.
Chairman of North Sulawesi's Indonesian Fishermen's
Association, Ferry Kokali, who also attended the meeting,
reminded the government to be prepared for an increase in the
number of poor people if the thousands of fishermen in North
Sulawesi were unable to buy subsidized kerosene.
"Protection of common people's rights is fading. The policy
will cause small-scale enterprises such as the fishing industry
to go out of business, because, besides the scarcity of fuel,
prices will gradually rise," said Kokali.
Chairman of Commission B of the North Sulawesi legislative
council, Djitro Tamengge, proposed that a team consisting of
officials from the municipality and the legislature be formed to
lobby the House and central government not to reduce the
province's kerosene quota.