Coal shipment blockade in Kalimantan stopped

The local authorities have stopped the blockade of coal shipment from major coal mining areas in Kalimantan to outside the island after the central government agreed to increase a subsidized fuel supply to the island?s four provinces, Kompas reported on Thursday.

?The blockage of coal shipment only took place one day and it had been stopped,? South Kalimantan Governor Rudy Ariffin told reporters following a meeting with Energy and Mineral Resources Minister.

Rudy and East Kalimantan governor Awang Faroek Ishak, West Kalimantan governor Cornelis and Central Kalimantan governor Teras Narang met the minister and other senior officials at the ministry to discuss the shortage of subsidized fuels in their respective provinces.

The shortage of subsidized fuel received a strong protest from the local people. In South Kalimantan, protesters blocked the shipment of coal to outside the island. The local leaders before then had met members of the House of Representatives to ask for additional quota of subsidized fuels, but the request was turned down.

During the meeting on Wednesday , Minister Jero agreed to increase the supply of subsidized and non-subsidized fuels to Kalimantan in order to be able to cope with the fuel shortage. Downstream oil and gas regulator BPH Migas has as interim measure raised the subsidized fuel supply for the four provinces by five percent.

Rudy said he hoped the additional supply can be shipped this week so that there would be no more fuel shortage in the four provinces. The additional supply is expected to be able to cope with the fuel shortage until the government and the House agreed to increase the fuel quota in the upcoming meetings. (*)