Ombudsman: Fuel Distribution Problems Vary by Region

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ombudsman (ORI) has said that fuel distribution problems vary from region to region, requiring an assessment of supply availability, delivery accuracy and whether quotas match public needs.

Ombudsman member Abdul Ghofar said the findings came from preliminary monitoring conducted on 17–18 October 2026, drawing on data and information collected by 34 regional Ombudsman offices.

“Based on information from regional energy and mineral resources offices, Pertamina Patra Niaga’s regional offices, petrol station supervisors, members of the public, experts and other relevant parties, several factors contribute to fuel queues,” Ghofar said in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Saturday.

The most commonly identified factors, in order, were shifts in fuel use due to price differences between fuel types, distribution obstacles, surges in demand, misuse of fuel—including hoarding and illicit resale—quota limitations, panic buying, restrictions on purchases, service disruptions and specific fuel-filling schedules.

In response to long queues and shortages of subsidised fuel in several regions, the Ombudsman summoned the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), state oil company PT Pertamina (Persero), PT Pertamina Patra Niaga and the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) in Jakarta on Tuesday, 20 October.

The summons sought information about the Ombudsman’s preliminary findings on the provision, distribution and oversight of subsidised and compensated fuel.

Ghofar stressed that queues and shortages must be considered holistically, taking into account not only supply availability but also demand planning, distribution and oversight of deliveries.

“A comprehensive evaluation is therefore needed to prevent the same problems from recurring,” he said.

The Ombudsman also found that petrol stations had run out of fuel in six provinces. The highest number of cases was recorded in Lampung and South Kalimantan, followed by West Sumatra, Aceh, Highland Papua and East Nusa Tenggara.

In addition to the stockouts, monitoring found long queues at petrol stations across 17 provinces: South Kalimantan, Lampung, Riau, Southeast Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Bali, West Sulawesi, Bengkulu, East Kalimantan, West Sumatra, West Java, Aceh, the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Jambi, West Nusa Tenggara, Highland Papua and South Papua.

One issue of particular concern to the Ombudsman was a disruption to fuel supplies in Bali in mid-October 2026.

ORI monitoring found that long queues from 12 to 15 October were linked to difficulties supplying fuel by sea, including a technical problem with the anchor of the MT Prima XP, which delayed its scheduled berthing by about 15.5 hours on 12 October.

The vessel, which had been due to berth at 6.30 am Central Indonesia Time (WITA), was only able to dock at 10 pm. The situation was compounded by limited fuel reserves at the distribution terminal, rising public demand and excessive purchases driven by panic after reports of shortages circulated.

Ghofar said the supply disruption led to longer vehicle queues at petrol stations around Bali. On 14 October, queues in Denpasar stretched for more than two kilometres, with waiting times of about four to six hours.

The following day, queues in Tabanan and Gianyar exceeded three kilometres. During this period, demand for Pertalite in Denpasar and Badung also rose sharply, from about 700,000 litres to 1.3 million litres per day.

“This surge in demand put further pressure on a distribution system already facing supply constraints,” Ghofar said.

ORI also found gaps in fuel deliveries in the lead-up to the shortages. Sample data on daily deliveries to monitored petrol stations showed that regular Pertalite supplies were interrupted on 9–10 October 2026 and resumed only on a limited basis on 11–12 October.

A review of distribution through Benoa Port also found a gap between the arrivals of fuel-carrying vessels before the shortages occurred.

Ghofar said the situation demonstrated how vulnerable the distribution system was to delivery delays, particularly without adequate operational reserves.

He said the disruption in Bali should prompt an important review of logistics readiness and fuel-reserve management, especially in areas heavily dependent on supplies by sea.

A delay involving a single vessel should not, he stressed, have widespread effects on services to the public.

“Fuel stock management, certainty around delivery schedules and preparedness for distribution disruptions need to be strengthened,” he said.

Another concern, Ghofar said, was the limited infrastructure for distributing fuel by sea. The pier at Benoa Port is shared by different logistics needs, including supplies for state electricity company PLN and aviation fuel for I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Monitoring of fuel distribution to island areas such as Nusa Penida and Lembongan also indicated a need to strengthen records of delivery volumes, so that distribution can be monitored more accurately and in an integrated manner.