Kerosene crisis hits Purbalingga
Kerosene crisis hits Purbalingga
Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purbalingga
It is difficult at present to buy kerosene in the Central Java
regency of Purbalingga; if it is available at certain stalls or
shops, the price has soared, to Rp 1,000 per liter.
Villagers in Kemangkon subdistrict have been complaining about
the kerosene shortage for a week, and some of them had to pay a
very high price to get the heating oil.
Similar shortages also hit other subdistricts in Purbalingga,
such as Karangreja and Bobotsari.
"For several days I have been unable to get any kerosene
because stalls in Kemangkon have reserved a quota for their
regular customers. Consequently, I have had to queue for it,"
said Sulastri, a 38-year-old woman resident from Kedung Legok
village.
Slamet, a vendor in Kemangkon, said he had sold kerosene at Rp
900 per liter, and added that the retail price was cheaper than
that in other villages, where it had increased by up to Rp 1,000.
The official price of kerosene is from Rp 550 to Rp 600 per
liter.
"I don't know why kerosene is so expensive now. Frankly
speaking, the supply has become sluggish. Maybe it's because the
Idul Fitri holiday is coming up, I don't know," he said.
An assistant to the head of the Purbalingga administration on
economic development affairs, S.S. Hetami, confirmed the shortage
of kerosene in several subdistricts there. "I have received many
reports about that, so we shall request an additional supply of
kerosene for Purbalingga regency."
He said his office had written to oil and gas dealers in
Central Java, asking them to increase the distribution of
kerosene to the regency by up to 160,000 kiloliters per month.
"Previously, we only received a quota of 120,000 kiloliters.
After we worked it out, the supply of kerosene to Purbalingga
seemed to be short by 40,000 kiloliters," Hetami said.
He said that shortages had arisen because the demand for
kerosene had risen ahead of the Idul Fitri celebrations, even
though the supply had been increased.
Secretary of the Banyumas oil and gas agency Trismiyanti said
her office had started to provide an increased supply of kerosene
to Purbalingga and to the other neighboring regencies,
Banjarnegara and Cilacap.
The additional supplies were provided through "market
operations" that started on Monday, she added.
Spokesman for state oil company Pertamina based in Cilacap M.
Banser said his firm would optimize fuel production with an
increase of up to 100 percent ahead of the Idul Fitri, Christmas
and New Year holidays.
"Two processing units will operate fully, to produce up to
348,000 barrels of kerosene per day," he said.