East Nusa Tenggara Hit by Fuel Shortage

Like most people I hate paying ridiculous prices for petrol and I bitch when the fuel prices jump to AUS$1.45 a litre. Because of a fuel shortage in East Nusa Tenggara their prices jumped jump from Rp 5,000 a litre to Rp 40,000.

The fuel shortage caused by a delay in the arrival of a tanker at Sumba Island has lasted for three weeks. State oil and gas company PT Pertamina responded to the shortage by rationing fuel supplies to the two regencies.

The fuel supply to each of the two gas stations in the two cities used to be between 10,000 and 15,000 litres per day. Now the supply has been cut to only 5,000 litres a day. The fuel scarcity has had a serious impact on public transport on the island leaving hundreds of passengers stranded or forced to walk to their destinations.

In Waingapu, the capital of East Sumba regency, and Waikabubak large numbers of vehicles were seen queuing at the cities' gas stations. Apparently Pertamina will settle the fuel shortage as soon as the tanker arrives on the island.

Indonesia is resource-rich and produces more than enough petroleum and LPG to keep the prices down. The only solution to the catastrophe in ENT is to build a couple more depots.