Fuel shortages in Sulawesi regency

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 05/05/2006 11:22 AM

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Sulawesi Tengah

Banggai regency, about 600 kilometers east of the Central Sulawesi capital Palu, experienced a third day of fuel shortages Thursday.

Several gas stations in the regency remained closed because of a lack of fuel supplies. Long queues of motorists were seen at those stations that did open Thursday, with lines stretching for two kilometers at some stations.

Banggai Regent Makmun Amir told The Jakarta Post by phone he was coordinating with state oil and gas company Pertamina to resolve the shortages.

""Pertamina representatives said the shortages were caused by a drop in supplies. But new shipments are on the way to Banggai from Kalimantan,"" he said.

The regent said fuel supplies to Banggai had been reduced by up to 50 percent and were unable to meet demand.

Soeria Lasni, a Banggai-based journalist, said he waited in line at a gas station from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. Thursday, but was still unable to fill his tank.

The former reporter for Sinar Harapan daily urged Pertamina to rush additional supplies to the area to deal with the shortages.

He said the situation at gas stations in the regency was becoming chaotic, with no police on the scene to ensure order and prevent queue jumpers.

""Police officers need to bring some order to the lines. It's not fair if people wait for hours but never get their chance because motorcyclists keep jumping to the front of the line,"" he said.

The head of Pertamina's sales depot in Palu, Arief Priyatno, said the fuel shortages were caused by a delay in the arrival of a new shipment, which was expected to arrive Tuesday but now would only reach the area Friday.

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