Kerosene shortage hits Yogyakarta

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.