Pertamina sells kerosene in gas stations

State oil and gas firm PT Pertamina has started to sell non-subsidized kerosene in 20 gas stations to help consumers meet kerosene need, Media Indonesia reported Saturday.

Pertamina?s President Director Ari Soemarno said in Jakarta Friday that the sale of non-subsidized kerosene in 20 gas stations in Jakarta started two weeks ago. ?The sale is expected to help consumers facing difficulty in finding kerosene in their respective areas,? he said.

The non-subsidized kerosene is priced at Rp 7,715 (1 US$= 9,250) per liter. While, the subsidized kerosene is sold for Rp 2,000 per liter.

Pertamina has cut the supplies of kerosene in line with the governmet's program to encourage the public to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) instead of kerosene for cooking. Many people, however, still prefer using kerosene but the price of kerosene has soared in the market due to the lack of supplies. (*)