Pertamina urges public not to engage in fuel panic buying

PT Pertamina Patra Niaga has urged the public not to purchase fuel in excess or engage in panic buying.

“Regarding panic buying, we ask the public not to panic buy,” said Pertamina Patra Niaga Chief Executive Officer Mars Ega Legowo Putra at the Rest Area Km 57 in Cikampek, West Java, on Monday.

Pertamina Patra Niaga had already undertaken fuel supply preparations well in advance. “If panic buying occurs, it will only create negative effects,” Mars Ega added.

Previously, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia stressed that fuel stocks are consistently available throughout the country, meaning the public need not worry or panic about purchasing the commodity in excessive quantities.

National fuel supplies are secure because production and distribution continue to operate to meet public demand in accordance with operational stock standards set by the government.

According to Bahlil, fuel stocks are dynamic in nature as fuel is distributed daily to meet public needs, whilst fresh supplies simultaneously continue to arrive, whether from domestic refinery production or imports.

Minister Bahlil noted that fuel supplies do not depend on a single source. In addition to supplies from domestic refinery production, fuel availability is reinforced through imports from various countries, not relying solely on supplies from the Middle East.

These supplies are also sourced from neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore, meaning the situation is secure and not directly linked to conditions in the Strait of Hormuz.

As a long-term measure, in accordance with the direction of President Prabowo Subianto, the government will increase storage capacity, according to Bahlil. The plan includes the construction of new storage infrastructure capable of holding fuel stocks for at least three months.