Governor Laka Lena Silent on Ban for Out-of-NTT Vehicles Purchasing Subsidised Fuel
The Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, has declined to comment regarding Provincial Regulation (Pergub) NTT Number 13 of 2025 concerning the optimisation of motor vehicle tax, motor vehicle fuel tax, and heavy equipment tax.
The regulation stipulates that vehicles registered outside NTT cannot purchase subsidised fuel. Labuan Bajo in West Manggarai is among the first areas to implement this rule.
“Please contact Pak Alex Lumba (Head of the NTT Regional Revenue, Financial Management and Asset Board),” said Laka Lena on Friday (27 February 2026).
Meanwhile, Pertamina Patra Niaga’s Area Manager for Communication, Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility in the East Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara region (Jatimbalinus), Ahad Rahedi, emphasised that the policy will not affect Pertamina’s mechanism for distributing subsidised fuel.
“There is no impact; requirements for purchasing subsidised fuel will continue to be applied,” wrote Ahad in a WhatsApp message.
He added that Pertamina is committed to working in synergy with regional government policy to ensure subsidised fuel distribution reaches the intended targets.
“We will continue to work together with the Regional Government to ensure subsidised fuel distribution is more effectively targeted,” he stated.
Previously reported, motor vehicles registered outside NTT are prohibited from purchasing subsidised fuel at petrol stations in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai. A similar policy also applies to vehicles that have not paid or are not current with their motor vehicle tax (PKB). Such vehicles may only purchase non-subsidised fuel.
The ban is regulated in Pergub NTT Number 13 of 2025. The NTT Provincial Tax Service Work Unit (UPTD Dispenda) together with the West Manggarai Tax Authority have conducted socialisation of the regulation’s implementation with vehicle owners at several petrol stations in Labuan Bajo.
The Head of NTT’s UPTD Dispenda, Anjas Pranda, explained that the socialisation focused on provisions concerning subsidised fuel consumption. He noted that the subsidised fuel quota calculation is based on the number of vehicles operating in the NTT region. However, this provision becomes skewed when many vehicles from outside NTT also consume subsidised fuel in the area.
“They benefit from the subsidy in NTT territory, yet their taxes are paid to other regions,” said Anjas in a written statement on Wednesday (25 February 2026).
According to him, the policy aims to maintain subsidised fuel stock availability to prevent shortages that could trigger long queues at petrol stations.
“Through the implementation of this policy, the Regional Government is working to maintain the availability of subsidised fuel stock so as to anticipate shortages which would otherwise result in prolonged queues at petrol stations,” he added.