Diesel fuel production won't be raised

Diesel fuel production won't be raised

CILACAP, Central Java (JP): State-owned oil and gas company
Pertamina said on Friday it would not increase its diesel fuel
production despite people's recent complaints about the shortage
in supply in the market.

General manager of Pertamina's Cilacap Refinery Unit IV,
Suroso said that the company's production of diesel fuel was at
its maximum level of 1.8 million barrels per month.

"We all should understand the situation and restrain from
doing unnecessary things," Suroso said, referring to Cilacap
fishermen's complaints and their threat to stop their activities
due to diesel fuel shortage.

As many as 23,000 fishermen have been idle for more than one
week as they could not get fuel to operate their boats.

"The production volume is in line with the Pertamina head
office's program set by the government; not more than 348,000
barrels per day," said Suroso.

The Cilacap fishermen accused Pertamina of having caused the
diesel scarcity with its quota system for gasoline stations in
the province.

The quota system has been applied to several gas pump stations
in Cilacap and Purwokerto, where the gas stations got only 75
percent of their usual supply.

The Cilacap fishermen were allowed to buy diesel fuel for
their ships only at two gasoline stations belonging to the
fishermen's cooperative (KUD Minosaroyo).

The supply from Pertamina has, however, decreased from 40,000
liters per day to 36,000 liters per day, while the fishermen with
their 863 traditional fishing boats and 380 trawlers needed
48,000 liters a day.

Atas Munandar, chairman of the Cilacap chapter of the
Fishermen Association said that the fisherman had almost lost
their patience.

"They said they wanted to put sea water in their ship tanks in
protest over the unresolved situation," Munandar said. (45/sur)