Long fuel queues continued at gas stations in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said national fuel reserves and local supply were normal, but cited demand concentrating on subsidized fuel as the cause.
Amid allegations of vehicle modifications and hoarding, an odd-even license plate system will also be in effect through September 20.
3-line summary
1. Queues for subsidized fuel in Makassar have grown longer
2. Retail prices rose to 35,000 rupiah per liter
3. The government’s explanation differs from a confirmed supply shortage
Explanation that non-subsidized fuel users shifted to subsidized fuel
In Makassar, long lines of vehicles formed at several gas stations for about a week, and some residents went to more expensive retail outlets. Uzone.id reported that Pertalite prices at some retail locations reached 35,000 rupiah per liter.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources did not consider this a supply shortage. Ministry spokesperson Dwi Anggia explained that inventory at Makassar’s storage terminal was sufficient and distribution was normal. However, the ministry’s assessment was that demand increased as users shifted to subsidized fuels, Pertalite and Solar, after the price of non-subsidized fuel rose.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the national reserve amounted to about 20 days’ worth and mentioned that the national minimum standard was 21~28 days. The point was that it is difficult to view the national reserve as the direct cause of the queues, but this is the government’s explanation and does not mean that every cause at the sites has been confirmed.
Allegations involving vehicles modified with larger tanks and hoarding
Minister Bahlil said there had been cases in Makassar of vehicles being modified with much larger tanks to carry more subsidized fuel. In a report by detikoto, the minister mentioned cases in which tanks capable of holding up to 1 ton or 700 liters were installed in Toyota Fortuners and trucks.
The government raised the possibility that such vehicle modifications and repeated refueling were attempts to divert subsidized fuel for other uses. However, the reported information concerns the minister’s stated allegations and cases, and does not provide grounds to conclude that every vehicle in the queues engaged in the same conduct.
Uzone.id reported that, alongside allegations of hoarding, bulk purchases driven by anxiety also placed pressure on gas-station distribution. The key point in these queues is that the total supply itself and the quantity actually available for purchase at gas stations can appear differently depending on the concentration of demand.
Odd-even license plate system applied from September 13 through 20
To reduce the queues, the South Sulawesi provincial government applied an odd-even license plate system to subsidized-fuel purchases at all gas stations in the province from September 13 through 20. On odd-numbered dates, only vehicles with license plates ending in 1·3·5·7·9 could refuel; on even-numbered dates, only vehicles ending in 0·2·4·6·8 could refuel.
This measure was a temporary action set out in an official letter dated September 12 from the South Sulawesi Energy and Mineral Resources Agency. Therefore, it cannot be viewed as a long-term policy change. According to Uzone.id, Makassar implemented remote classes for students and work-from-home arrangements for civil servants from September 12~19 to reduce travel volume and traffic congestion; after protests, online motorcycle taxi drivers who presented the app and official identification were exempted from the odd-even system.
The point to note in this case is that the phenomenon of “there is no fuel” is not the same as the cause presented by the government. Makassar’s queues emerged amid demand concentrated on subsidized fuel and distribution pressure, and authorities are attempting to ease the situation through restrictions.
References
Tags #Makassar #IndonesianFuel #SubsidizedFuel #Pertalite #GasStationQueues #FuelCrisis #SouthSulawesi #OddEvenLicensePlateSystem #BahlilLahadalia #HoardingAllegations #VehicleTankModification #OnlineMotorcycleTaxi