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)