Kerosene supplies in city sufficent
Kerosene supplies in city sufficent
JAKARTA (JP): State-owned oil company Pertamina has set aside
10 to 11 million kiloliters of kerosene for household usage in
anticipation of the government's decision to hike the fuel price
on April 1, an official said on Thursday.
"Pertamina has increased its daily supply from 12,500
kiloliters to 14,320 kiloliters," head of the City Economic
Development Office Dameria Saragih told The Jakarta Post.
"The company has also prepared a team of 50 members to monitor
possible skyrocketing kerosene prices in the city," she said
after a meeting at City Hall that dealt exclusively with the
issue of kerosene supply. The meeting was attended by officials
from city administration, Pertamina and other agencies.
Similarly, an official at Plumpang fuel station in North
Jakarta, Mohammad Amin, said activities at the station were
normal. "We supply all tanks based on delivery orders, so it is
surprising if people find it difficult to obtain kerosene," he
said.
Following the government's decision to hike fuel prices on
April 1, residents had reportedly started to find it hard to buy
kerosene, for some people have stockpiled their own kerosene
supplies in order to resell them after April.
The government will raise the price of kerosene from Rp 280 (3
US cents) to Rp 350 per liter. Residents, however, will have to
buy the fuel between Rp 400 to Rp 500 per liter.
Several kerosene vendors and customers supported Dameria's
statement that there was an adequate supply of kerosene.
Putra Gunawan, a kerosene depot owner on Jl. Cengkeh Ujung of
West Jakarta's Pinangsia subdistrict, said he still sold kerosene
at the normal price of Rp 400 per liter, and still found no
problem with the supply.
"I just purchased a full tank of kerosene for the usual price
of Rp 1.6 million this morning, so I have no reason to increase
the price or keep some of it in stock," he said.
Customers have stated that they still purchased kerosene for
Rp 400 to Rp 500 per liter.
The only complaint was uttered by kerosene vendor Pugi who
said that the price of the supplier had jumped to Rp 450 per
liter from the previous Rp 375.
"But I don't dare increase the price for my customers. I'm
afraid that it will trigger unrest, so I decided to decrease the
profit margin to only Rp 50 per liter," said Pugi, whose income
has decreased to Rp 15,000 a day from about Rp 30,000 previously.
Dameria said residents should not be panic with the supply or
stockpile kerosene because plenty was available.
"Residents can also contact the Halo Pertamina hotline service
(number at 08001555555) to get information on kerosene supply 24
hours a day. Pertamina will also deploy its tanks at fuel
stations, kerosene agents and depots," she added.
There are 124 kerosene agents and 1,163 kerosene depots
throughout the city.
Dameria said the conclusion drawn from the meeting was that
kerosene scarcity could be caused by housewives who might buy
more than their daily consumption in anticipation of the hike.
"Pertamina has calculated that increasing daily supply by 14
percent should be able to provide everyone with enough kerosene,"
she said.
"We suspected that people might have bought kerosene to be
then used for industrial purposes."
She also said Pertamina refused to supply more kerosene for
household usage because of these possibilities.
"If Pertamina increases its daily supply, we can't be sure
that all buyers will use it for their households," she said.
It was also decided in the meeting that all would share in the
responsibility of monitoring kerosene distribution.
"Pertamina will control the distribution from its station in
Plumpang. Mayoralty offices will control the price at resellers,
while city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya will monitor the
price at markets under its management," she said. (ind/nvn)
JAKARTA (JP): State-owned oil company Pertamina has set aside
10 to 11 million kiloliters of kerosene for household usage in
anticipation of the government's decision to hike the fuel price
on April 1, an official said on Thursday.
"Pertamina has increased its daily supply from 12,500
kiloliters to 14,320 kiloliters," head of the City Economic
Development Office Dameria Saragih told The Jakarta Post.
"The company has also prepared a team of 50 members to monitor
possible skyrocketing kerosene prices in the city," she said
after a meeting at City Hall that dealt exclusively with the
issue of kerosene supply. The meeting was attended by officials
from city administration, Pertamina and other agencies.
Similarly, an official at Plumpang fuel station in North
Jakarta, Mohammad Amin, said activities at the station were
normal. "We supply all tanks based on delivery orders, so it is
surprising if people find it difficult to obtain kerosene," he
said.
Following the government's decision to hike fuel prices on
April 1, residents had reportedly started to find it hard to buy
kerosene, for some people have stockpiled their own kerosene
supplies in order to resell them after April.
The government will raise the price of kerosene from Rp 280 (3
US cents) to Rp 350 per liter. Residents, however, will have to
buy the fuel between Rp 400 to Rp 500 per liter.
Several kerosene vendors and customers supported Dameria's
statement that there was an adequate supply of kerosene.
Putra Gunawan, a kerosene depot owner on Jl. Cengkeh Ujung of
West Jakarta's Pinangsia subdistrict, said he still sold kerosene
at the normal price of Rp 400 per liter, and still found no
problem with the supply.
"I just purchased a full tank of kerosene for the usual price
of Rp 1.6 million this morning, so I have no reason to increase
the price or keep some of it in stock," he said.
Customers have stated that they still purchased kerosene for
Rp 400 to Rp 500 per liter.
The only complaint was uttered by kerosene vendor Pugi who
said that the price of the supplier had jumped to Rp 450 per
liter from the previous Rp 375.
"But I don't dare increase the price for my customers. I'm
afraid that it will trigger unrest, so I decided to decrease the
profit margin to only Rp 50 per liter," said Pugi, whose income
has decreased to Rp 15,000 a day from about Rp 30,000 previously.
Dameria said residents should not be panic with the supply or
stockpile kerosene because plenty was available.
"Residents can also contact the Halo Pertamina hotline service
(number at 08001555555) to get information on kerosene supply 24
hours a day. Pertamina will also deploy its tanks at fuel
stations, kerosene agents and depots," she added.
There are 124 kerosene agents and 1,163 kerosene depots
throughout the city.
Dameria said the conclusion drawn from the meeting was that
kerosene scarcity could be caused by housewives who might buy
more than their daily consumption in anticipation of the hike.
"Pertamina has calculated that increasing daily supply by 14
percent should be able to provide everyone with enough kerosene,"
she said.
"We suspected that people might have bought kerosene to be
then used for industrial purposes."
She also said Pertamina refused to supply more kerosene for
household usage because of these possibilities.
"If Pertamina increases its daily supply, we can't be sure
that all buyers will use it for their households," she said.
It was also decided in the meeting that all would share in the
responsibility of monitoring kerosene distribution.
"Pertamina will control the distribution from its station in
Plumpang. Mayoralty offices will control the price at resellers,
while city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya will monitor the
price at markets under its management," she said. (ind/nvn)