Fear of Shortages Amid Middle East Conflict Triggers Bangka Residents to Panic-Buy BBM

Panic buying of BBM has occurred in Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung. Vehicle queues, from motorcycles to cars, filled SPBU in Sungailiat and stretched beyond the premises; the phenomenon occurred at all SPBU across the district. The rumored Middle East conflict, feared to affect oil supplies to Indonesia, is believed to have spurred fear and panic buying at SPBU nationwide. In response, the chair of the XII Commission of the Indonesian Parliament, Bambang Patijaya, urged the public to stay calm and not panic buy fuel. ‘Remain calm, there’s no need to panic buy BBM with the situation in the Middle East,’ he said on Thursday (5/3). He assured that stock at the Depo Pangkalbalam Pangkalpinang for Bangka Island is safe through Lebaran. As a preventive measure, the XII DPR RI Commission supported and urged the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) to mitigate by redirecting supply purchases from the Middle East to other sources such as the United States. Separately, the Terminal Manager of Depo Pangkalbalam, Tri Awan, confirmed that BBM stock for Bangka Island is safe through Idulfitri. ‘For Ramadan and Idulfitri there will be additions, both for BBM and subsidised LPG by about 25% of normal supply,’ Tri said. He urged residents to stay calm and not panic buy. ‘With this panic buying it seems as if there is no BBM, whereas stock is available. We urge calm and no panic buying,’ he added. In a separate statement, Bangka Regent Fery Insani urged residents not to panic and hoard BBM, saying, ‘We are optimistic and confident that our BBM stock at Pertamina is safe and will not be affected by the situation in the Middle East; therefore we ask the public not to panic buy.’