DPR Commission XII Deputy chairman Criticizes Energy MinisterS Directive for Private Gas Stations to Purchase Fuel from pertamina
Jakarta – Deputy Chairman of Commission XII of the Indonesian House of representatives (DPR), Bambang Wuryanto, has sharply criticized a recent directive from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) requiring private gas stations to purchase fuel from state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina amidst ongoing fuel scarcity. Wuryanto characterized the policy as illogical and counterproductive, comparing it to forcing small fried rice vendors to buy rice from larger vendors, even though both source their rice from the same market.
The directive comes as Pertamina, also a fuel importer, faces challenges in meeting national demand, leading to queues and limited availability at some stations. Wuryanto argued the policy fails to address the root cause of the issue and could exacerbate problems for private gas stations, which represent only 5% of the market and primarily sell non-subsidized fuel. He noted a recent shift in consumer preference towards private stations following past issues with Pertamina, suggesting the increased private quota is a result of this transition, not a surge in overall demand.
“Private obligations to buy from Pertamina are actually also strange, because Pertamina is also an importer. Unless Pertamina produces excess fuel from the needs,” Wuryanto stated. He further expressed concern that such policies create unnecessary burdens and require the President to “firefight” minor issues that do not impact state finances.
Wuryanto highlighted the potential for layoffs at private gas stations due to the scarcity and the new purchasing requirement,as reported by Kompas.com on September 19, 2025. He suggested the Ministry’s policies lack complete impact mitigation and ultimately prove counterproductive.
