Pertamina to Penalize Gas Stations Charging for Restroom Access
PT Pertamina (Persero) will penalize operators of gas stations charging for restrooms, Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri announced on Thursday.
Restrooms across all Pertamina stations are strictly free of charge under company policy, yet operators continue collecting fees at multiple locations, Mantiri told the House of Representatives Commission VI during a hearing on Thursday, according to CNBC Indonesia.
“Toilet memang sebenarnya aturan di semua toilet SPBU seluruh SPBU Pertamina kan gratis Pak, gratis dan baik tentunya saya masih menemukan di beberapa tempat masih ada yang membayar itu,” said Simon Aloysius Mantiri, President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero).
Strict Sanctions Promised for Violating Operators
Mantiri said that he has repeatedly instructed the leadership at PT Pertamina Patra Niaga to take decisive action against operators who continue charging customers for restroom access. The network spans thousands of retail sites nationwide, operating under various partnership models including company-owned and dealer-operated schemes. According to data from the Directorate General of Oil and Gas per the second quarter of 2025, Pertamina through its subsidiary PT Pertamina Patra Niaga recorded 13,698 gas stations.
PT Pertamina Patra Niaga data specifies 14,849 fuel distribution outlets comprising 6,369 regular gas stations, alongside 436 mini gas stations, 863 compact gas stations, 408 fishermen gas stations, 55 floating gas stations, and 6,718 Pertashops, operated through partnership schemes such as Company Owned Company Operated, Joint Operation, Joint Operation Technical Assistance Contract, and Company Owned Dealer Operated.
“Jadi itu saya minta nanti kita akan keluarkan sudah beberapa kali saya sampaikan ke tim Patra Niaga, Pak Ega (Dirut Pertamina Patra Niaga) untuk tindak tegas saja tentunya mungkin akan kita berikan sanksi apabila tidak sesuai dengan prosedur yang ada kita tetapkan,” Mantiri said, referring to Pertamina Patra Niaga Director Ega.
The company has not yet detailed the specific penalties operators will face for non-compliance, but the enforcement targets adherence to established service standards across the retail network. The findings prompted Pertamina to strengthen oversight of gas station services, with the Board of Commissioners and State-Owned Enterprises Supervisory Board requested to monitor the execution of the directive.
The 2021 Ministerial Circular Precedent
The policy mandating free restroom access originated during the tenure of Erick Thohir as Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, following his personal discovery of a paid toilet at a company station. Thohir subsequently issued Surat Edaran SE-16/MBUT11/2021 tentang Peningkatan Mutu Pelayanan Fasilitas Umum dan Fasilitas Sosial BUMN on November 24, 2021.
That regulatory circular instructed all state-owned enterprises to adequately maintain public and social facilities to ensure optimal impact without burdening users. The directive explicitly mandated that public facilities remain free of charge for the community, with oversight assigned to the Board of Commissioners and Supervisory Board.