Papuans residents wait days for kerosene supplies

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post/Jayapura

As many motorists in several areas of the country feel the bite of an acute fuel shortage, Jayapura residents have been forced to wait in lines day after day to get their kerosene supply or pay much higher prices to profit-minded vendors.

Usman angrily smashed his three empty kerosene containers on the ground. He has been waiting in line each day for a week now with hundreds of residents in the Hamadi section of Jayapura waiting for the arrival of a kerosene truck.

"I've been doing this, lining up for a week now. I have to wake up very early in the morning to wait in line with my containers, but I still don't get my share of kerosene," the 51- year-old complained on Friday.

He was not alone. Hundreds of other residents were also disappointed as the kerosene truck only distributed 2,500 liters of kerosene. "How can it be enough for all of us," Usman said.

A housewife, Octovina, claimed that she had to wait six days for the kerosene to arrive. Upset, she and other housewives went to state oil company PT Pertamina's office. "We protested, but still did not get any kerosene," she said.

Another housewife, Jumadi, 42, had to turn to a private kerosene vendor, although the price, at Rp 3,000 per liter, was much higher than the government-mandated price of Rp 1,000 per liter.

Markus, a resident, said those waiting in line for kerosene included profit-takers wanting to hoard it and sell it for a higher price. "They (the profit-takers) also line up with us, buying as much as 50 liters," he complained.

He urged all the village chiefs to make a list of their residents and distribute cards allowing each family to have a maximum of 10 liters of kerosene. "This way we can prevent the traders from setting the kerosene price as they like, while allowing all residents to get their share," he said.

Pertamina's spokesperson, Irto Petrus Gintings, refused to admit that the city was experiencing a kerosene shortage, but acknowledged the presence of profit-seekers, who were selling kerosene at much higher prices.

"Since kerosene is hard to get, some residents sell it at a higher price, but we'll put them in order. We even heard that many unemployed people now have become kerosene vendors due to the high prices they can charge," he said on Friday.

He claimed that the kerosene supply in Papua province -- 108 kiloliters per year -- is intended for household use and small- scale businesses. Currently, he said, the company had enough supply for the next 42 days.

"We have enough supply. There's no kerosene scarcity. Only that distribution to residents is limited. Previously, people could buy kerosene any time, but now they have to wait in line," Irto surmised.