Official told to stay put over fuel crisis

Official told to stay put over fuel crisis

Yongker Rumthe, The Jakarta Post, Manado

North Sulawesi Governor A.J. Sondakh has ordered M.Zaini, head
of the Pertamina branch office here, and Rosman Idris, Bitung
port administrator, not to leave the region, amid mounting anger
over their alleged roles in a prolonged fuel shortage that has
particularly affected supplies of kerosene.

The travel ban on the two officials was made on Friday morning
following demands by students that the two officials be held
responsible for the province's protracted fuel crisis.

Thousands of students from various universities descended on
the gubernatorial office and the provincial legislative council
building on Thursday, demanding that the governor take prompt and
proper action against the two officials over the crisis.

They urged the North Sulawesi administration to take strict
and prompt measures against the two officials, who they alleged
were responsible for the disappearance of fuel. A similar request
also applies to other officials involved with kerosene supply and
distribution in the region.

"I have told the two officials not to leave the province
before the fuel crisis is overcome," the governor said, adding
that he had called on the Bitung port administrator to return
soon from Jakarta.

The students said the performance of the state-owned oil
company Pertamina was very poor.

The students said that Pertamina officials in North Sulawesi
had conspired with local oil traders, causing the scarcity of
fuel that has forced locals to line up for kerosene.

The students also accused the Bitung port administrator of
masterminding fuel smuggling through the port. Therefore, they
urged the North Sulawesi legislative council to hold a hearing
with the two officials as well as other heads of institutions who
were allegedly responsible for the fuel crisis in North Sulawesi.

Victor Mailangkay, a North Sulawesi legislator who received
the students, promised that the council would give executives and
Pertamina two weeks to settle the fuel crisis, especially the
kerosene scarcity, in North Sulawesi.

"If the problem is not properly dealt with within the coming
two weeks, we will propose to the central government that the
head of Pertamina's Manado branch office be dismissed," Victor
revealed.

The speaker of the North Sulawesi legislative council,
Syachrial Damapolii, meanwhile said that the council would hold a
hearing with Pertamina and its agents in the region, Bitung port
administration, the owners of fuel distribution centers and
representatives of students on Friday to discuss the matter.

Earlier Pertamina had blamed illegal fuel buyers from the
Philippines for the scarcity and soaring prices of kerosene and
gasoline in the province.

The current crisis has been going on for some time in Sangihe
Talaud, North Sulawesi's northernmost regency, which lies close
to the Philippines.

A housewife living in Banjer, Pal Dua in downtown Manado said
on Friday that she had to stand in line for hours to get kerosene
for her daily needs.

In Manado and Bitung kerosene is sold at between Rp 1,000 and
Rp 1,300 per liter, or more than Rp 500 higher than it was
before.