Fuel runs short, above all on Bali: in Jakarta, pressure mounts on Pertamina

What happened

Since early October several regions of Indonesia have reported shortages of subsidised fuels such as Pertalite and Solar. It began in Bali and East Java; according to monitoring by the Ombudsman, eleven provinces were affected by mid-October, including Banten and West Java, which border Jakarta. Queues at some stations stretched about a kilometre, and in West Sumatra waits reached two to three hours.

State energy company Pertamina announced in Jakarta on Sunday that it would deliver more fuel, extend opening hours and deploy additional tanker trucks and mobile stations. The government also launched the 'Pengawal Energi' programme, under which recent graduates will monitor subsidised fuel distribution at 3,679 stations and help prevent misuse.

Prices did not change in October: a litre of Pertalite still costs 10,000 rupiah and Pertamax 15,950 rupiah. The government had earlier said it would not raise subsidised fuel prices before the end of 2026.

The mood on the ground

For many people the shortages mean lost time and lost money. Ateng Sutisna (PKS), a member of parliament's energy Commission XII, pointed out that drivers earn nothing while queuing and workers lose working hours. He called for an investigative audit of the entire supply chain, a map of problem stations within seven days and weekly public reports on waiting times.

Impatience is what comes through most: the problem keeps recurring despite numerous meetings, the lawmaker said, and talks without real improvement are no longer enough. Business daily Bisnis also ran an opinion piece on the shortage on Monday.

From the regions, media report videos shared by residents on social networks showing long lines of vehicles at many stations. An electric scooter maker in Jakarta says demand for its models has risen noticeably since the shortages began. The reports reviewed mention no shortages in Jakarta itself – in the capital the crisis is mainly being fought out politically.

Voices from the media