The authorities of Bali have identified those responsible for the shortage of small gas cylinders

The periodically occurring shortage of subsidized, cheaper 3-kilogram gas cylinders continues to concern the residents of Bali. There are still situations when gas is simply unavailable at the nearby shop.

However, the provincial government of Bali refutes information about a shortage of 3-kilogram gas cylinders at official sales points.

The Secretary of the Bali province, Deva Made Indra, stated that the issue with gas availability is observed only at retail sellers.

"As for the 3kg liquefied gas, the shortage may indeed be observed at retail sellers, but gas is always available at the depots and from agents," said Deva.

Indra urged Bali residents facing difficulties in purchasing gas to obtain it from official suppliers (pangkalan). According to him, there are currently over 4000 such points open in Bali, distributed across the island. The gas price there is fixed at Rp 18,000, corresponding to the government-set cost. This is reflected on Google Maps for this query, and the photo is an illustration of what sales points might look like. I found this one at a regular Pertamina gas station.

Indra emphasized that regular retail stores will not cease their operations, but their supplies will be limited. This is because the government sets quotas for gas supplies to each region. These quotas aim to ensure gas availability to all residents, preventing resellers from creating an artificial shortage and uncontrolled price increases.

This year, the Bali provincial government allocated 215,448 metric tons of subsidized liquefied gas, according to Secretary Indra. He mentioned that this quantity should be sufficient for a series of holidays from late February to early March 2024.

The issue of the shortage of 3-kilogram gas cylinders in Bali has persisted for a while. The island's government has taken various measures to address it, including tightening control over gas distribution, subsidizing gas costs, and promoting the use of alternative energy sources. However, these measures have not yet yielded the desired results, and discussions blaming middlemen have also not been helpful.

Solving the gas shortage problem seems challenging, and the Bali government continues to work on it. The final resolution of the issue is currently unknown.

Sources: angaranews, voi