Netizens Grill Shell Management on Fuel Availability, Here's the Response
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Fuel products at Shell’s Public Fuel Filling Stations (SPBU) are still empty to this day, leaving the public puzzled.
Netizens have even bombarded the comment section of the Instagram account @shell_indonesia with questions about when their fuel products will be available again.
In response to questions regarding the availability timeline of stocks, the Shell Indonesia social media account stated that it is still coordinating with the government to obtain the 2026 fuel import quota.
“We are continuously coordinating with the government regarding the application for the 2026 fuel import recommendation in accordance with the applicable procedures,” quoted from the response of the Instagram account @shell_indonesia on Monday (23/3/2026).
Previously, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia spoke out about the empty fuel stocks at several private SPBUs, such as Shell and BP.
Bahlil asked those private business entities to independently seek business solutions to secure their supply chains.
Furthermore, Bahlil emphasised that the government’s primary focus at present is to maintain national energy availability for the wider public. He suggested that private SPBU operators establish commercial collaborations between business entities or Business to Business (B2B) to address stock shortages.
“Please go ahead with B2B. That’s how it is. I’m not talking about individuals. The state is present not to manage one group. For groups that want to survive and have stocks, please collaborate with other business entities,” Bahlil stated when met at the Ministry of ESDM Office, Jakarta, on Tuesday (17/3/2026).
Based on observations by CNBC Indonesia, fuel stocks at Shell SPBUs have been empty since the beginning of 2026. Meanwhile, for BP SPBUs, shortages of several types of fuel occurred recently.
In contrast to the situation at private SPBUs, Bahlil guaranteed that fuel supplies managed by PT Pertamina (Persero) are secure. He assured the availability of fuel, LPG, avtur, and electricity is sufficient to meet public needs ahead of and during the Idulfitri holiday period.
The government recognises that escalating geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East are triggering market panic in some countries. However, Bahlil assured that the Indonesian Government will not fully release fuel prices to market mechanisms and will continue to uphold the subsidy scheme.
“Regarding prices, the state will remain present for subsidies. It will remain present. The amount of the subsidy, we will see the geopolitical developments. But with the price, insya Allah, if US$100 (per barrel), the average now is US$70. If it goes to US$100, insya Allah it is still within the APBN corridor, we can still manage it,” he stressed.