Lampung struck by fuel shortages

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 05/09/2006 12:01 PM

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

A fuel shortage has hit eight regencies and two cities throughout Lampung reportedly because the subsiding water level in the Musi river in Palembang has prevented oil tankers from navigating the river to transport premium fuel from Plaju.

Other reports received Friday said that the fuel scarcity was caused by retailers who were hoarding the fuel to push up the prices.

Long lines of vehicles were seen in nearly all gasoline stations in Lampung as of Monday. Many motorists had to queue for up to three hours only to discover that the fuel had already run out.

Ironically a number of retailers were selling the badly needed fuel at much higher prices. On Jl. Sudirman in Bandarlampung, for example, a liter of fuel which is usually sold at Rp 4,500 (50 US cents) per liter, jumped to Rp 6,000 per liter. In the regencies of Central Lampung, Tanggamus and West Lampung fuel was sold at Rp 8,000 per liter.

Doni Indrawan, head of the Lampung office of state oil and gas company Pertamina, attributed the fuel scarcity in Lampung to the inability of tankers to travel from Plaju along the Musi river due to the lower water level.

""However, as of yesterday the ships were already able to pass the river again. Pertamina has even kept stock for the next few days at its Panjang depot,"" he said.

Doni explained that Pertamina supplied one million liters of premium fuel to Lampung per day.

He further said that the fuel shortage was caused by panic buying of consumers who were apprehensive about possible fuel shortages.

""Retailers were able to sell fuel in front of a number gasoline stations, while stocks were running out at the gasoline stations,"" he said.

A retailer purchasing fuel at Pringsewu gasoline station said that he was forced to sell the fuel at a much higher price because he had to give Rp 5,000 to Rp 10,000 to gas station attendants to get the fuel.

""I sold the fuel at Rp 8,000 per liter because I had to wait for the long time in a long queue,"" he said.

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