Oil and Gas Industry

Pertamina Under Fire

VIVAnews – Pertamina denies that there is a serious fuel shortage and claims that the situation is recovering. However, its President Director stated that he was ready should the shareholders decide to remove him from his position. Meanwhile, former Pertamina employees adds to the mayhem by demonstrating outside Pertamina’s office.

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Pertamina President Director Ari Soemarno, today, met with Vice President Jusuf Kalla at the Presidential Palace. Soemarno said that the Vice President had asked Pertamina to increase supply to prevent fuel shortage.

Kalla also asked Pertamina to secure the distribution of fuel. In response, Pertamina plans to have a discussion with the National Oil and Gas Entrepreneurs Association, so that they can provide services while Pertamina will provide facilities.

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However, PT Pertamina denies that there is a fuel shortage, citing as its reason that lack of fuel shortages only occurs in 130 fuel stations out of 4,300 in the entire country. "This amount is less than 3 percent," said Soemarno after meeting with Vice President Kalla, Jakarta, Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Indeed, most fuel shortages occur in Jakarta and surrounding areas, with 57 out of 640 fuel stations running empty.  This is only 7 percent of the total number of fuel stations in the area. "This is happening because of delays in supply due to the late redemption because banks are closed," said Soemarno.

However, as of 3 January, after the Plumpang fuel depot was opened, distribution was at 200 percent compared to normal condition. "This is has covered everything," he said.

According to Soemarno, the situation is gradually being restored. As of 6 January, only several fuel stations are left empty, "So this cannot be said as a fuel shortage," said Soemarno.

Pertamina currently has a stock of 16 days consumption of premium fuel, 50 days for kerosene, and 33 days for diesel fuel. "So we have high reserves," he said.


Despite denying severe shortage of fuel, after the meeting with the Vice President, Soemarno also said that he was ready should he be required to be removed from his position of President Director of Pertamina. His statement was made in response to rumors his resignation is demanded by several parties due to the shortages of fuel and also of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

However, he continued, “The only ones who can appoint and remove (me) from office are the shareholders,” he said. He also said that he was in no capacity to comment on the matter.

Department of State-Owned Enterprises Secretary, Said Didu, also said that the issue of replacing management personnel is within in the hands of the shareholders. "I don’t have any information about it, I don’t want to make any comments," he said to VIVAnews.

Sofyan Djalil, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises rejected statements about Soemarno being removed from his position, stating that it is mere gossip and rumor with no basis.


Meanwhile, as if pressures from the central government and from parties that suffer from fuel shortages are not enough, in an unrelated issue, former Pertamina employees are holding a demonstration outside the company's office.

Their beef with Pertamina started on Monday, January 5, stems from the management’s failure thus far to carry out the judicial review decision of the Supreme Court, dated 6 November, 2007, which annulled the termination of employees by Pertamina in July 2005.

"Well, yesterday we didn’t meet with the management and indeed there was an intention to report to the police. But, then we decided to try again," said Yenses, the legal representativeof the employees on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Currently, he said, dozens of employees are again demonstrating outside Pertamina’s office in Central Jakarta. The security officials did not let them into Pertamina’s office premises. "If we don’t receive a firm response by this evening, we will consider reporting to the police,” said Yenses.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Committee (Komnas HAM) had promised to help after the employees complained about their situation to the Committee yesterday. “They promised to help in sending letters,” said Yenses.


* VIVAnews journalists Hadi Suprapto, Ferial, Shinta Eka Puspasari, Ita Lismawati F. Malau and Mohammad Adam contributed to this article.

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29 Maret 2024