Gas station for fishermen in Kotabaru stops selling fuel

Fishermen use goods rickshaws carrying jerry cans waiting for the supply of diesel fuel in the SPBN at port of Lampulo, Banda Aceh, Saturday (11/10/2018). (Antara Aceh/Ampelsa)

Regarding government policy through the ESDM Ministry, we hope it will be reviewed so the distribution of subsidized fuel will be smoothly and can be felt by the community, especially fishermen,

Kotabaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Kotabaru fishermen carry out fishing activities. (South Kalimantan / ist / ohi Antaranews)
Gas station for fisherman (SPBN) in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, stopped selling fuel due to the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry's policy regarding changes in the price formula.

Kotabaru DPRD requested the government through the ministry to review the policy to recover the distribution of subsidized fuel for fishermen at SPBN managed by PT AKR Corporindo and let it smooth.

"Regarding government policy through the ESDM Ministry, we hope it will be reviewed so the distribution of subsidized fuel will be smoothly and can be felt by the community, especially fishermen," said Commission III member H Genta Kusan here on Monday.

The policy of changing the price formula has so far caused the sale of subsidized diesel fuel to fishermen at 58 SPBN managed by the company
in all of Indonesia stopped, including in three SPBNs in Kotabaru.

As a result, fishermen in this district have difficulty getting subsidized diesel fuel at a price of Rp. 5,150 per liter. At retail, diesel prices range from Rp 7,500 to Rp. 8,000 per liter.

Abu Ahsan (40), whose big family are fishermen in Sarang Tiung Village, Pulau Laut Utara Sub-district, acknowledges this situation is very difficult.

Sahidin (50), a fisherman from Rampa Village, North Pulau Laut, experienced the same thing. He admitted he usually gets a quota of 200 liters of diesel every two weeks from the SPBN managed by PT AKR Corporindo at Saijaan Fish Landing Base (PPI). "Now we can't get it anymore," he said.

"Buying (fuel) to retailers in stalls, but sometimes there is sometimes no oil. Yes, finally I can't go to sea," he complained.

Mochran Rasyid, Head of the Kotabaru Fisheries Agency, confirmed that the distribution of subsidized fuel by PT AKR's SPBN was stopped starting on May 18, 2019. "The impact is that fishermen have difficulty obtaining fuel," he said.