Bahlil: Queues for Subsidised Fuel in Makassar Resolved, Reported to President

The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, has revealed that the queues for subsidised fuel in the Makassar region, South Sulawesi, have begun to disperse. He also noted that the situation has been reported to President Prabowo Subianto.

“What happened yesterday in Makassar, Alhamdulillah, has been resolved. It is finished, and I have reported this to the President,” Bahlil told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Thursday (17/09/2026).

Bahlil explained that the cause of the fuel queues was a shift in usage from non-subsidised fuel to subsidised fuel. According to him, some members of the public who previously used fuel with a Research Octane Number (RON) of 92 and 95 have switched to subsidised options.

“However, we know that the condition yesterday involved a shift from using RON 92 and 95, which are non-subsidised, to subsidised fuel,” he said.

Furthermore, Bahlil stated that the police have discovered vehicles that have been intentionally modified with large tank capacities to collect significant amounts of subsidised fuel.

“But also, there are our fellow citizens who, it must be admitted based on police findings, have intentionally created larger tanks,” he said.

“Some have 700-litre capacities, some have 1-tonne capacities, and these are being filled using vehicles like Pajeros and various others. So, that was one of the factors contributing to the queues,” he continued.

Bahlil revealed that President Prabowo Subianto has issued directives to crack down on such practices. Moving forward, he will coordinate with Pertamina, the entity responsible for field implementation.

“The directive is that we must immediately regularise this. Because we know that the government acts as the regulator, while the implementation on the ground is handled by Pertamina. Therefore, I am continuously coordinating with Pertamina,” he concluded.