State oil and gas firm PT Pertamina has brushed aside criticism about its failure to supply the nation with Premium gasoline and diesel by saying recent shortages were specific to a small number of gas stations and that it has now secured supply of the two fuels.
Also under fire for a recent scarcity of subsidized 3-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders that has made a mockery of its drive for the public to convert from kerosene to LPG, Pertamina Sunday said the shortages of Premium gasoline and diesel fuels reported at many gas stations over the past few days had ended.
Achmad Faisal, Pertamina's director for marketing and trading, said the company had increased deliveries of the fuels to address the drought.
"Over the past three days, we have distributed Premium gasoline and diesel in a higher volume than the normal daily need. But, several gas stations in remote areas still face shortages," Faisal said.
He added that the shortages would soon be alleviated and that public transportation would not suffer.
He said the company depot in Plumpang, North Jakarta, which is responsible for supplying Greater Jakarta, had on Saturday distributed 19,981 kiloliters of Premium, higher than the area's daily need of 9,420 kiloliters.
He said the station had also sent out 5,311 kiloliters of diesel, compared to the normal daily allotment of 4,677 kiloliters.
Faisal said the national stock of Premium gasoline and diesel was secure.
Total daily domestic demand for Premium gasoline is 54,000 kiloliters and 30,000 kiloliters for diesel.
Faisal said that in the last three days, the national stock of Premium had been increased to 2.76 million kiloliters, or enough for 13.4 days of consumption, and the diesel stock to 5.28 million kiloliters, enough for 28.3 days.
"We will continue adding to our daily fuel stocks," Faisal said.
Pertamina said the recent shortages had been specific to 129 gas stations of the 4,300 operated by Pertamina's across the country.
Ari H. Soemarno, Pertamina's president director, said the shortage had nothing to do with the fuel stock, but rather with payment delays caused by the holiday season, which saw the temporary closure of most banks, and also by the company's recent transition to a new online payment system.
Ari said the shortages had been worsened as some gas station operators had decreased orders for fuel because of rumors the government may soon further cut the prices of Premium gasoline and diesel.
"We hope fuel station owners will continue to serve the public. They should remember that Pertamina did not ask for any compensation when gas stations benefited from the fuel prices hike," Ari said.
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