Pertamina Babel blocks 800 vehicle barcodes for siphoning subsidised fuel

PT Pertamina Patra Niaga in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province has blocked 800 vehicle barcodes (QR codes) and fake number plates, as they were indicated to be misusing subsidised fuel in the region. “As of mid-July this year, we have blocked 800 four-wheeled vehicle barcodes,” said Sales Area Manager of Pertamina Patra Niaga for the Bangka Belitung Islands, Satriyo Wibowo Wicaksono, during an inspection of a petrol station in Pangkalan Baru, Central Bangka Regency, on Wednesday. He stated that the blocking of these 800 vehicle barcodes and fake number plates is a step by PT Pertamina Patra Niaga to ensure the distribution of subsidised fuel is on target and provides the right benefits to the community entitled to subsidies in the area. Additionally, the barcode blocking is a measure to anticipate long queues of vehicles at petrol stations across the region. “These blocked vehicles had multiple barcodes and multiple number plates to siphon subsidised fuel, thus triggering long queues at petrol stations in this area,” he said. He noted that based on field monitoring, the long vehicle queues in recent days were triggered by many vehicles making repeated purchases at petrol stations using fake number plates and multiple barcodes. “Our findings in the field show many identical or double barcodes and the use of fake number plates to fill up with subsidised fuel at petrol stations,” he stated. He appealed to the public to buy fuel according to their needs and not to panic, because the fuel stock in the Bangka Belitung Islands is more than sufficient to meet the community’s needs. “We hope the public will not be provoked by circulating issues, because fuel stocks and supplies are running smoothly to meet the community’s fuel needs,” he said. Furthermore, the public is urged to use energy wisely, especially when purchasing fuel, as the availability of fuel, particularly subsidised fuel, is sufficient to meet the needs of the community in the area. “We urge the public to use energy wisely and to buy fuel according to their needs,” he said.