Minister Bahlil Asserts National Fuel Reserves are Secure

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, has asserted that national fuel reserves are secure, standing at around 20 days, which is close to the national minimum standard of 21–28 days.

“Therefore, regarding our national reserves, we have no problems,” Bahlil stated during the Innovation Technology for Social and Environmental Awards (InTechSEA) event held in Jakarta on Monday.

This statement comes in response to long queues for fuel purchases at several petrol stations (SPBU), particularly those occurring in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Bahlund stated that he had personally investigated the cause of these queues.

“I have checked what the problem is, because our national reserves are at 20 days. There should not be (queues). As it turns out, ladies and gentlemen, there is some shifting occurring,” said Bahlil.

Bahlil continued by explaining that there has been a shift in public consumption patterns, where users of non-subsidised fuel are moving to subsidised fuel due to the price increase of non-subsidised products.

While he does not object to this shift, he expressed hope that those with sufficient financial means would refrain from using subsidised fuels, such as Pertalite and Biosolar.

“Those who previously did not use subsidies are switching to subsidised fuel. That is fine, but I urge our fellow citizens who are capable, who drive nice cars, to please be considerate,” Bahlil said.

Over the last three days, queues of vehicles purchasing fuel surged by more than 50 per cent, causing traffic disruptions.

Based on monitoring on Monday morning, queues at petrol stations on Jalan AP Pettarani, Makassar, had returned to normal, with only a dozen vehicles queuing, allowing staff to serve consumers smoothly.

In response to the situation, the local government has issued regulations to ensure fuel purchases align with odd-even licence plate numbers. Additionally, large vehicles such as trucks and buses are required to queue for fuel at night to avoid disrupting traffic flow.

Furthermore, Pertamina has increased fuel supplies and extended the operating hours of petrol stations to serve the public, resulting in the normalisation of vehicle queues.