BPKN Reminds Public Not to Fall into Panic Buying of Fuel Ahead of Eid al-Fitr 2026

The Chairman of the National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN), Mufti Mubarok, has urged the public to stay calm and prudent in consuming petroleum fuel (BBM). This appeal comes amid emerging issues of geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, coinciding with preparations for the 2026 Eid al-Fitr holiday period. Mufti emphasised that panic buying or excessive purchasing risks triggering artificial shortages in the field. Imbalances in distribution caused by mass hoarding by the public are feared to disrupt the stability of supplies that have actually been prepared by the government. “Use BBM wisely according to needs. There is no need for panic buying because it can actually disrupt supply stability,” Mufti said when contacted from Jakarta on Wednesday (18/3). Although tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have triggered fluctuations in global crude oil prices and disruptions to global energy distribution, BPKN assesses that the government and Pertamina have taken sufficiently strong mitigation steps to maintain national stocks. In line with this, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, has previously assured that national BBM stocks are in a safe condition. According to Bahlil, domestic BBM industry activities as well as import routes remain stable and are not significantly impacted by the escalation of war in the Middle East. Facing the surge in public mobility during the mudik period, Mufti hopes that Pertamina will pay extra attention to smooth distribution, especially in archipelago regions that are the main destinations for returnees. The presence of the state through energy state-owned enterprises is seen as key to providing a sense of security to the public so that mudik activities can proceed without hindrance. “The mudik momentum requires extra preparedness, particularly in ensuring BBM availability remains safe and easily accessible to the public at various journey points,” he explained. In particular, BPKN highlighted critical points such as toll roads, the Pantura route, and inter-provincial crossings. Preparedness of infrastructure in high-density areas is very important to prevent long queues at fuel stations. Closing his statement, Mufti invited the public to respond to global dynamics in a reasonable manner without needing to feel excessively worried about national energy resilience. Similar support also came from the President Director of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Mars Ega Legowo Putra, who asked the public to remain prudent in purchasing BBM and LPG to avoid unnecessary panic buying. Member of Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Nevi Zuairina, reminded of the importance of maintaining distribution stability and public trust regarding national petroleum fuel (BBM) availability. The increasingly heated global geopolitical situation in the Middle East region must serve as a serious alarm for Indonesia to immediately strengthen national energy independence. Public panic does not arise on its own, but is triggered by information imbalances and the loss of public trust in state supply guarantees.