Impoverished folk get free holiday kerosene
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi
The Central Sulawesi administration began on Tuesday a week-long distribution of 45,000 liters of free kerosene to poor people in three areas across the province in order to help them during Idul Fitri celebrations.
According to Abu Bakar Rasyid, an official at the local energy and mineral resources office, 20,000 liters of free kerosene would be distributed to the poor in the subdistricts of Tamalate, Mariso and Rappocini in the provincial capital Makassar.
The remaining 25,000 liters would be channeled to about 2,000 poor people in Gowa and Maros regencies, he added.
"Kerosene is among the basic needs of the people, especially those living under the poverty line. Ahead of Idul Fitri, they will face problems in buying kerosene due to the increasing prices of basic needs on the market," Rasyid said Tuesday.
"To ease their economic problems, we will therefore hold a distribution program, expecting that in the next five days, all poor people here will receive it."
Despite a claim from state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina that it had continued supplying kerosene nationwide, the shortage of that basic need ahead of Idul Fitri, as well as the celebration of Christmas and New Year, has been a problem for years due to rising demand.
This situation is usually exacerbated by local scalpers who stockpile kerosene for higher profits.
It is also unavoidable that people accuse Pertamina of a conspiracy that leads to the scarcity of kerosene and the quadrupling of the price.
Generally, kerosene is sold to the public for between Rp 900 and Rp 1,200 per liter. Prices can increase to more than Rp 1,500 per liter ahead of the holidays.
On the first day of the program, hundreds of poor people in Maccini Sombala area in Tamalate queued holding coupons that could be exchanged for 10 liters of kerosene.
"Since the supply of kerosene is limited, we have to impose the program after selecting those eligible," said Rasyid, while observing the first day of the distribution program.