Kerosene shortage hits Yogyakarta

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Kerosene shortages have been reported in at least two regencies in Yogyakarta, since the holy month of Ramadhan began last week.

Kerosene vendors in Bantul and Sleman regencies here complained on Saturday that the supply of kerosene from distributors has been delayed for up to a week for unknown reasons.

Sutaryo, a kerosene vendor in the Minggir district, Sleman, said on Saturday that the shortage of kerosene had occurred as far back as three weeks ago.

Previously, Sutaryo had been supplied with 25 drums of kerosene per month from a distributor, but two weeks before Ramadhan he could only get 10 drums of kerosene from the distributor. In the first week of Ramadhan the number was as low as 5 drums per week.

"Due to the shortage of kerosene, I have to refuse the demands of my customers. I only sell it to customers who regularly buy the kerosene from me," he said, as quoted by Antara news agency on Saturday.

Another kerosene vendor in Sleman, Suyati, said that the kerosene shortage had put her in a difficult situation. "My neighbors came to my stall several times to buy kerosene, but they always went home empty handed. I am afraid that they will finally suspect me of stockpiling the kerosene," she said.

Due to the shortage of kerosene, the price of kerosene in Sleman has skyrocketed.

The retail ceiling price imposed on kerosene by state owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina is Rp 890 per liter, but the current market price has already reached as high as Rp 1,200 per liter.

Antara reported that vendors in Bantul regency on Saturday were also selling kerosene at Rp 1,200 per liter.

The vendors have blamed the distributors for the skyrocketing prices.

The distributors purchase the kerosene from PT Pertamina and are obliged, under contract, to sell it below the ceiling price imposed by the company. But the contract is often breached. Also, the distributors often sell the kerosene to industries, rather than vendors or households, as they can get higher prices from the industries.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Sedayu police subprecinct in Bantul was still investigating two truck drivers, who were arrested two days earlier over their alleged involvement in an attempt to stockpile 5,000 liters of kerosene.

The two drivers, who were arrested in Sedayu district, Bantul, were Eko Sutriyanto, a resident of Gamping, Sleman, Yogyakarta, and Ramino, a resident of Kutoarjo, Purworejo, Central Java.