Jakarta \u2014 Indonesia\u2019s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil\nLahadalia has addressed concerns about fuel panic buying in Bangkok,\nThailand, asserting that Indonesia operates under a distinct regulatory\nframework that differs fundamentally from neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n
Bahlil stated that each nation maintains its own policies which\ncannot be directly compared to Indonesia\u2019s situation. Indonesia operates\ntwo distinct fuel sales schemes: government-subsidised fuel and\nmarket-priced fuel.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not use other countries as a reference. Our nation has baseline\nregulations that differ from those outside. We have two types of fuel:\none subsidised by the state and one at market price,\u201d Bahlil said during\na meeting at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry office in Jakarta\non Tuesday, 17 March 2026.<\/p>\n
The minister assured that domestic fuel supplies remain secure at\nleast until the Eid al-Fitr holiday period this year. The government\nwill maintain control over fuel prices, particularly subsidised fuel\nwithin the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government has great concern for public welfare. We do not want\nto burden citizens with all the costs. So, God willing, we will not\nadopt patterns used by other nations. We understand that the state must\nbe present for the people\u2019s needs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Regarding fuel availability post-Eid, after March 2026, Bahlil stated\nthe government has already devised a strategy to secure fuel stocks and\nprices. \u201cWhat matters is that we maintain all stocks to prevent fuel\nshortages in Indonesia\u2014whether LPG, petrol, or diesel,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
On pricing, the minister emphasised that the state will continue to\nprovide subsidies. \u201cThe subsidy price level will depend on geopolitical\ndevelopments,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
This statement comes as long queues of vehicles formed at several\npetrol stations on the outskirts of Bangkok on Monday, 16 March 2026, as\ndrivers rushed to fill diesel tanks before the government\u2019s fuel price\nfreeze policy ended. Traffic congestion resulted from the queuing to\nrefuel at petrol stations outside a major fuel station. The diesel price\nfreeze had been in effect for 15 days since early March.<\/p>\n
The policy was scheduled to end on Monday, prompting a surge in\ndemand as many drivers sought to refuel before possible price increases.\nThe spike in demand caused several petrol stations to experience diesel\nshortages, with some drivers facing lengthy waits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe ran out of fuel because many people came to fill up. They came\nfrom everywhere,\u201d said Poonyaporn Kerdphokha, a 31-year-old petrol\nstation worker who has worked there for over 10 years.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Thailand\u2019s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister\nPhiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the government would decide on further\nmeasures regarding diesel price adjustments following the end of the\nprice freeze policy.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/neighbouring-country-panic-buying-fuel-bahlil-other-nations-not-our-reference-1773748354", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }