January 14, 2026 | 04:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Niti Emiliana, chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumer Institution Foundation (YLKI), has criticized the fuel shortages at several private gas stations in 2025, calling the situation a violation of consumer rights.
“It violates consumers’ freedom to choose,” Niti said during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
According to her, the shortages were caused by issues both within state mechanisms and commercial practices among business players. From a state perspective, Niti referenced Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, which grants the government authority to regulate natural resources such as fuel.
From a commercial perspective, she said private gas stations’ delayed procurement through Pertamina contributed to continued scarcity, limiting options for consumers.
Niti urged the government to ensure transparency in fuel supply and maintain adequate stocks at private stations.
“Consumers have the right to choose the fuel they want. This concerns trust in fuel products,” she added.
In mid-2025, several privately owned gas stations ran out of stock, prompting companies to purchase additional fuel through a business-to-business scheme with state-owned PT Pertamina Patra Niaga (Persero).
Initially, Shell, BP-AKR, and Vivo Energy hesitated to buy, but later agreed to purchase base fuel without blends. Private companies purchased a total of 430,000 barrels from Pertamina.
Laode Sulaeman, Director General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), confirmed that private oil companies would receive additional fuel import quotas in 2026.
The additional quota is expected to be around 10 percent, similar to last year.
As a result, private gas stations are starting to replenish their previously empty pumps. Sulaeman did not specify which companies had resumed refills, noting that individual companies could provide their own updates.
M. Faiz Zaki contributed to the writing of this article.
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