Coal supply to S. Kalimantan stockpile drop by 30 percent

The supply of coal to a stockpile in Pelambuhan, West Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, has reduced up to 30 percent due to the disruption of coal transportation following a move by local police to discipline illegal levies on coal transportation vehicles, Media Indonesia reported Tuesday.

 

Head of South Kalimantan’s Association of Community Mining (Aspera) Endang Kusumayadi said in Banjarmasin Monday that following police’s move to take firm action against those forcing drivers to pay illegal levies, many local people living near the coal stock pile have continued to block coal trucks passing Trisakti seaport, making many of the truck drivers afraid of entering the area.

 

Consequently, he said, the lingering conflict has affected the coal supply to the area.

 

According Endang, the coal supply was estimated to drop by 30 percent from the normal condition which reached 350,000 metric tons per month. “If the conflict continues, it is feared that it will affect coal supply from South Kalimantan to outside regions and export,” he said.

 

Aspera secretary general Solihin added that various problem arising from a regulation requiring coal transporting vehicles to pass state roads and not to carry items more than six tons and the rife in illegal levies have put coal transportation service operators into loses. (*)