Pertamina Asks People In Sorong Papua Not To Believe Pertalite Price Of Rp50,000 Per Liter, Management: That Is A Hoax!

People queue to buy Pertalite in Sorong, Papua. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Sub Holding Commercial and Trading Regional Papua Maluku asked the people of Sorong City and its surroundings not to believe information related to the widespread shortage of fuel oil (BBM) through social media.

Previously, information circulated on social media that the price of Pertalite in Sorong, Papua was up to Rp50,000 per liter. The information also made the public panic and had an impact on the emergence of mass concerns which led to long queues at Public Fuel Filling Stations (SPBU) in Sorong City and its surroundings.

Area Manager of Communication Relations and CSR of Pertamina Patra Niaga Sub Holding Commercial and Trading Regional Papua Maluku, Edi Mangun said that the concern of Pertamina's customer community was exploited by irresponsible persons by selling Pertalite type fuel at prices far above the reasonable price in the gas station market.

He said this was proven by the arrests made by the Sorong Police for individuals who bought fuel at gas stations and then sold fuel at very high prices.

Edi emphasized that the stock of fuel at the Sorong Fuel Terminal is still available, and it is certain that it can last between the next 4 to 5 days. In addition, according to the schedule, it is planned that on November 8, 2021, the fuel carrier ship will unload cargo.

In addition, on November 9, 2021, fuel tankers from the Fuel Terminal Integrated Wayame will unload cargo in Sorong, so that the supply of fuel is declared safe.

"In response to the information circulating about the scarcity of fuel, we hereby declare that it is fake news and the public has been consumed by irresponsible news so that they flock to queue for fuel. We need to emphasize that the stock of fuel at Pertamina Sorong's fuel terminal is still safe, even up to 4 or the next 5 days," he said, quoted from Antara, Monday, November 8.

Furthermore, said Edi Mangun, to overcome the queues that occurred at gas stations, Pertamina has also distributed fuel to gas stations in stages to break up the long queues, and follow up on the gang of fuel hoarders who have been successfully uncovered by the police.

He said that the situation that was feared did not actually happen, since Friday night November 5 we have normalized all gas stations, according to the daily quota of each gas station. Then Saturday 6 November Sorong Fuel Terminal has increased the supply of supplies to more than 200 percent of the normal daily supply, to solve the long queues at gas stations.

If this incident persists, it will endanger all of us, because if this issue continues and we believe it will have an impact on the community itself, it is necessary to know that the police have also investigated the people who took advantage of this incident by hoarding.

"Because when people who used to queue with only 1 to 2 liters for motorbikes or 5 to 10 liters for cars will be hampered," he said.

Edi also added that to this day Pertamina has not had any issues to increase the price of Pertalite products, such as what is currently being spread by irresponsible persons.

In addition, Edi also invited residents of the city and district of Sorong to fight against false information spread by irresponsible fuel hoarders.

He also explained that the Sorong Fuel Terminal has distributed 25 KL of fuel to the South Sorong area and 40 KL of Sorong Regency to address the issue of fuel scarcity to areas outside Sorong which are also affected by the Sorong City area.