The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, has\nspoken out regarding the long queues for fuel purchases at several\npetrol stations in Makassar, South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
According to the Minister, the cause of the queues is not a shortage\nof fuel stocks, as national fuel reserves remain above the minimum\nstandard of 20 days. Bahlil noted that the queues are occurring due to a\nshift in public consumption from non-subsidised fuel to subsidised fuel.\nFurthermore, there are indications of fuel hoarding through the use of\nmodified vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome are shifting, but far more than that, there are cars and trucks\ncreating large tanks, ranging from 700 litres to one tonne, to fill with\nfuel,\u201d Bahlil stated during his speech at the InTechSea 2026 event at\nthe Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta on Monday (14\/09\/2026).<\/p>\n
He noted that this was a finding by his department following\ncooperation with local police authorities. Bahlil added that, in\naddition to modified vehicles used for fuel storage, there are\nindications that the queues are being engineered, with certain vehicles\nintentionally queuing. \u201cThere are even indications that motorcycles and\ncars are intentionally queuing; their tanks are not even empty when they\njoin the line, containing as little as 15, 10, or 20 litres. I do not\nunderstand what is happening there, but that is the fact,\u201d Bahlil\nremarked.<\/p>\n
Following the event, he told reporters that the government is\ncontinuing to implement preventative measures to ensure such incidents\ndo not recur. Bahlil also confirmed that national fuel stocks remain\nadequate.<\/p>\n
Pertamina\u2019s Explanation<\/strong><\/p>\n PT Pertamina Patra Niaga has confirmed that the condition of\nsubsidised fuel queues in Makassar, South Sulawesi, is easing. Out of a\ntotal of 45 petrol stations serving the public, more than 35 stations,\nor approximately 80%, have shown more stable conditions.<\/p>\n This improvement in queue conditions is the result of coordination\nand collaboration between Patra Niaga and the South Sulawesi Provincial\nGovernment to increase service capacity and regulate the distribution of\nsubsidised fuel on the ground.<\/p>\n Several measures have been implemented, including the addition of\noperators and service lanes for subsidised fuel at various petrol\nstations, the operation of 25 petrol stations 24 hours a day, and the\naddition of distribution points through Modular Petrol Stations at the\nCentre Point of Indonesia (CPI). These steps were taken to increase\nservice capacity and provide alternative refuelling points for the\npublic.<\/p>\n In addition to the steps already taken, further efforts are ongoing\nand being optimised. The 24-hour operation of petrol stations, the\naddition of operators and service lanes, and the operation of the\nModular Petrol Station at CPI are being continuously monitored to ensure\nadditional capacity is utilised optimally. An odd-even system is also\nbeing applied in accordance with regulations to help maintain the\nsmoothness and order of services at petrol stations.<\/p>\n Acting Area Manager for Communication, Relations & CSR of\nPertamina Patra Niaga Regional Sulawesi, Okky Aditya Wibowo, stated that\nthe easing of queues in the majority of petrol stations is the result of\nsynergy and continuous evaluation conducted alongside the Local\nGovernment.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a total of 45 petrol stations in Makassar, more than 35\nstations, or about 80 percent, have shown increasingly conducive queue\nconditions. The waiting time for the public is also becoming shorter.\nThe various steps we have taken are ongoing, and we are optimising them\nwith the Local Government to ensure the condition of subsidised fuel\nservices continues to improve,\u201d Okky said in a written statement on\nMonday (14\/09\/2026).<\/p>\n Pertamina continues to ensure that subsidised fuel services run\noptimally by strengthening field capacity. Monitoring of queue\nconditions is also conducted periodically to assess the needs of each\npetrol station and determine necessary adjustments.<\/p>\n Pertamina Patra Niaga Regional Sulawesi and the Local Government will\ncontinue to evaluate the queue conditions and subsidised fuel services\nin Makassar. Improvement and adjustment efforts will continue in\naccordance with developments on the ground.<\/p>",
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