Villagers abandon kerosene, turn to firewood

Villagers abandon kerosene, turn to firewood

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto

The soaring prices of basic commodities caused by fuel price
increases have forced people to try to reduce their expenses.

Villagers in several parts of Central Java have gone back to
using firewood for cooking in place of kerosene.

"Rather than spending Rp 1,300 for a liter of kerosene which
can only be used for a day, it's better to use firewood. One
bundle can be used for three days," said Sumirah, a resident at
Sikampuh village in Kroya subdistrict, Cilacap regency.

She is one of thousands of poor villagers in Central Java, who
have complained about the soaring price of kerosene. Kerosene was
sold for Rp 1,300 per liter in nearby outlets, although the
official price is only Rp 600 per liter. In some remote areas, it
even rose to Rp 1,400 a liter.

"I don't know why this has happened. The country led by
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is said to have prospered, but
all the prices of basic commodities have risen," Sumirah added.

A similar grievance was also voiced by Pak Kumis, a 50-year-
old trader of chicken noodles on the campus of the state-run
Soedirman University in Purwokerto.

He even vowed not to vote for any party in the 2004 general
elections, arguing that all the political groups had only made
lofty promises and lied to their constituents.

Megawati's government announced last week an average 22
percent increase in fuel prices, effective from Jan. 16. Under
the new policy, the price of kerosene was set at Rp 600 per
liter, up from Rp 550.

The increase was aimed at gradually reducing the government's
fuel subsidy, which has been a huge burden on the state budget.

The amount of the former fuel subsidy would instead be
allocated for relief programs for the needy. The government plans
to allocate Rp 2.8 trillion for the poor across the country this
year. However, local authorities in the provinces and regencies
are unclear as to how to deliver the aid.

Critics have said the increases have only made people from
lower income groups suffer even more amid the country's prolonged
economic crisis.

Concrete efforts by the government to improve the daily income
of people were also not clear. The government has even admitted
that it is powerless to prevent the prices of basic commodities
from rising following the increase in fuel prices.

Housewives in the Central Java towns of Banyumas, Purwokerto
and Cilacap have begun to abandon kerosene and are switching to
firewood for cooking.

Despite firewood being readily available, its price has also
increased due to the rising demand for the commodity amid the
shortage of kerosene.

One bundle of firewood, which used to cost only Rp 1,200, is
now sold at Rp 1,500.

However, compared to kerosene, firewood is much more
economical. For each of the families in the villages, one liter
of kerosene is enough only for one day, while one bundle of
firewood lasts for at least three days.

Apart from it being more economical, the price of kerosene is
not stable and is likely to further increase in Central Java.

Kerosene is sold for Rp 775 per liter at its depots, while
street vendors set prices ranging from Rp 1,200 to Rp 1,400 per
liter.

"We buy it (kerosene) from the depots at a high price, so we
sell it also at a higher price. Why should we have to lose?" said
Sulistiyanto, a kerosene vendor in Bojongsari village in Kembaran
subdistrict, Banyumas.

M. Rofik Widadi, head of the economic division at the Banyumas
administration, said the shortage of kerosene was due to the lack
of supply from state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina.

He cited as an example that Banyumas, which has around 1
million consumers, needs a daily supply of at least 240
kiloliters of kerosene, but Pertamina has provided only 160
kiloliters since last year.

"That's why it's not surprising that kerosene is hard to find
here now. But we proposed to the government that Pertamina
increase the supply two weeks ago, but there has been no response
yet," he said.

Sugiat, a 43-year-old kerosene agent in Purbalingga regency,
confirmed that the stock was limited. "Usually we receive a
supply of around 1,000 liters per day, but recently, we get 1,000
liters twice a week."

However, Pertamina officials and oil and gas businessmen have
denied the decrease in kerosene supplies in the province. They
instead blamed the shortages on the move by certain dealers to
hoard the fuel to profit from the price increase.

Gugur Martono, head of Pertamina's local marketing division in
Cilacap, said the additional supply of kerosene would not address
the persistent shortages across Central Java.