Fuel shortages hit E. Nusa Tenggara

Fuel shortages hit E. Nusa Tenggara

The Jakarta Post, Kupang/Cirebon

More fuel shortages have hit East Nusa Tenggara, pushing premium
gasoline up to Rp 15,000 (US$1.5) a liter for motorists, stopping
buses and public minivans in major towns and grounding fishermen
who depend on diesel for their boats.

The shortages affected motorists in the East and West Sumba
regencies on Thursday and fishermen in Kupang city and Manggarai
regency, many of whom left their boats on shore. Shortages of
kerosene meant housewives in some areas turned to firewood as a
cooking source.

In the West Sumba capital of Waikabubak, most buses and
minivans had stopped operating on Wednesday, with many people
forced to walk to work. Other vehicles were seen lining up at gas
stations, waiting for fresh supplies to arrive.

"We've been at this gas station since Wednesday night, waiting
to get diesel," said Umbu Maniaga, a bus driver.

On Sumba island, retailers were seen selling premium gasoline
at Rp 15,000 a liter, more than six times the official Rp 2,400
rate.

In Manggarai regency, the lack of diesel for fishermen meant a
corresponding increase in fish prices at local markets.

Manggarai Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Office head Primus
Darman called for state oil company Pertamina to immediately plug
the deficit in the area.

"Many fishermen have come to me, complaining about the diesel
shortages. If the situation is left as it is, it will affect the
fishermen's livelihoods and the regency's revenue," he said.

In Kupang, kerosene has been hard to find since Saturday, with
the Oebobo, Alak and Kelapalima subdistricts the worst hit.

Pertamina Kupang marketing unit head Winrian Kurnia blamed the
scarcity on the decreasing supply allocations from the central
government coupled with increasing usage, saying the province had
already used 54 percent of its yearly allocation in the first
five months.

The government allocated 117,067 kiloliters of premium
gasoline for the province this year. "We have used 63,314
kiloliters from January to June, the rest is meant for the next
six months," Winrian said.

Out of the allotted 186,187 kiloliters of diesel, 93,288
kiloliters or around 50.1 percent had been used by June, he said.

A tanker carrying premium and diesel fuel would deal with the
shortage but on only in the Belu and Timor Tengah Utara
regencies, Winrian said.

"The ship has arrived at Atapupu harbor in Atambua and will
deal with fuel shortage in Sumba. Pertamina will also distribute
additional premium and diesel fuel from the ship to the Lembada
and Rote Ndao regencies."

Winrian did not know when the other affected areas, especially
Kupang city and Manggarai would be supplied.

Meanwhile, in Cirebon, West Java, some 18,000 fishermen have
abandoned their boats because of the escalating price of diesel,
which has reached Rp 5,480 a liter in the area from the official
price of Rp 2,100.

In Gebang Kulon village, hundreds of boats were seen sitting
idle in the harbor.

"It's been two weeks since the boats have been like that ...
The fishermen cannot afford these high diesel prices," a village
head, Sobirin, said.

East Nusa Tenggara and Cirebon were some of the many regions
affected by the nationwide fuel shortage in June, which occurred
when Pertamina could not afford to import more petrol after it
exceeded the government's national supply quotas.