Indonesia's fuel reserves secure despite surge in gas station queues

..given that our national reserves cover 20 days, there should not be queues.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Minister Bahlil Lahadalia reassured the public that national fuel reserves remain secure at approximately 20 days' supply, following lengthy queues at gas stations reported in parts of eastern Indonesia over the weekend.

Addressing the long vehicle queues seen at several public fueling stations (SPBU), particularly in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Bahlil said the localized supply pressures were driven by shifting consumer purchasing patterns rather than a national supply deficit.

"So, there is no issue with our national reserves," Bahlil said here on Monday, noting that current fuel reserves are close to the ideal target of 21 to 28 days.

He explained that field investigations found that the localized queues were caused by a sudden shift in consumer purchasing patterns following a price adjustment for non-subsidized fuels, rather than a national supply shortage.

"I checked what the problem was… given that our national reserves cover 20 days, there should not be queues. It turns out that there has been a shift," he said, adding that many motorists had switched to subsidized fuels such as Pertalite and Biosolar.

Following the temporary surge, which saw queues increase by more than 50 percent over three days, Bahlil appealed to higher-income citizens and owners of luxury vehicles to leave subsidized fuel for those who need it.

"Those who did not use subsidized fuel before are now switching to subsidized fuel. I appeal to our fellow citizens who are well-off and drive nice cars—please be considerate," the minister said.

By Monday morning, conditions at key locations, including the busy AP Pettarani fueling station in Makassar, had returned to normal.

To prevent further traffic bottlenecks, local authorities in South Sulawesi implemented an odd-even license plate policy for fuel purchases and required large commercial vehicles, such as buses and trucks, to refuel at night.

State energy company PT Pertamina has also increased supply volumes and extended operating hours at affected gas stations to accommodate the surge in demand.

Related news: Indonesia moves to secure fuel supply amid global tensions

Translator: Putu Indah Savitri, Yashinta Difa
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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