Households, vendors taking the leap to cooking with gas

Agnes Winarti , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 03/26/2008 12:38 PM

Low-income households and microbusinesses are taking the initiative to comply with the central government's policy of converting from kerosene to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Sayana, 41, who sells chicken noodles in Palmerah Selatan, Central Jakarta, said for the sake of continuing his small business, he had bought a safer rubber gas pipe, a regulator and a smaller LPG stove, rather than use those he received for free from the government.

"I don't mind spending some more money for that equipment, because the quality of the free gas regulator and rubber pipe is doubtful," said Sayana, who paid a total of Rp 240,000 for the new equipment.

A 3-kilogram cylinder of LPG is currently priced between about Rp 140,000 and Rp 165,000; a refill costs about Rp 14,000.

The gas is more economical than kerosene, said Sayana, because the 3-kilogram cylinder could last for two days but he had to buy up to 3 liters of kerosene every day to prepare his chicken noodles.

During the past few weeks, kerosene prices in Greater Jakarta have jumped from between Rp 2,500 and Rp 3,000 per liter to between Rp 5,000 and Rp 8,000.

The government plans to cease the distribution of subsidized kerosene in Jakarta and Banten in May, which means low-income households and microbusinesses -- those who use kerosene the most -- must buy kerosene priced at Rp 8,600 per liter sold in 5-liter containers at 24 gas stations around Jakarta.

Although the plan comes into force only weeks from now, not all low-income households in Jakarta have received the promised free cylinder of LPG, gas stove and related equipment.

"We have not received the free LPG stove package, despite having submitted all necessary documents last November," said Sarmini, a 33-year-old mother of one who lives in Sawah Barat, Pondok Bambu, East Jakarta.

To receive the free LPG stove package, low-income families must submit documents showing their monthly income is less than Rp 1 million, as well as their marriage certificates and family and ID cards.

"Because the kerosene price has gotten higher, I was forced to buy an LPG stove, which cost me Rp 300,000," said Sarmini.

Division head for oil and gas distribution at the city mining agency, Hari Nugroho, said stove distribution is still underway in six districts around Jakarta.

"We are still distributing stoves through Cengkareng and Kalideres in West Jakarta, Pasar Rebo, Ciracas and Cakung in East Jakarta and Pancoran in South Jakarta," Hari told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"Our target is to have distributed 1.85 million LPG cylinders by the end of April. We have so far distributed 1.748 million cylinders, one for every low-income family."

According to Hari, there are a total of 2,200,000 middle- and low-income households in Jakarta using kerosene as cooking fuel. He also estimated about 200,000 street food vendors in Jakarta were entitled to the free LPG distribution.

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