Antara, Jakarta – The government confirmed that there will be no additional fuel imports for private gas stations, including Shell, BP, and Vivo.
"There are no [imports]. Imports are synchronized with Pertamina (state-owned oil and gas company)," Laode Sulaeman, Director General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
Laode noted that this policy was conveyed during a morning meeting with representatives from Shell, BP AKR, and Vivo. The discussion focused on public concerns and the central issue of fuel imports.
At the end of the meeting, Laode instructed Shell, BP AKR, and Vivo to source their imported fuel from Pertamina, a directive from Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia. He underscored that the policy on synchronizing fuel quality standards has been established and stipulated in regulations issued by the Directorate General of Oil and Gas, which govern fuel specifications.
"So, this [quality] has been regulated; there shouldn't be any issues with the specifications," said Laode.
He also clarified that the government had already allocated an additional 10 percent of last year's import volume to private gas station operators. "And it is expected that private businesses can utilize this surplus volume to distribute their gasoline," he said.
However, Laode observed a shift in market dynamics for 2025, where consumers who previously purchased subsidized fuel, such as Pertalite, are now buying non-subsidized fuel.
Laode attributed this change in consumer behavior to the increased demand for fuel sold by private filling stations. "In fact, this is merely consumption dynamics, where many RON 90 [Pertalite] users are shifting to other RON types," he stated.
In response to gasoline shortages at several private filling stations, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources convened a meeting with Pertamina, Shell, British Petroleum (BP), and Vivo to discuss fuel imports.
This meeting marked the first time all private filling stations and Pertamina met to discuss fuel imports. Sulaeman confirmed the meeting was held to fulfill a mandate from Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung to swiftly resolve the fuel import issues between Pertamina and the private sector. "So, the volume and specifications will be synchronized," said Laode.
During the discussion, PT Pertamina agreed to supply fuel to private gas stations. "Pertamina has agreed; it's just a matter of arranging the technical mechanism," said Dwi Anggia, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
However, he did not disclose whether private gas station operators, such as Shell and BP AKR, were willing to purchase fuel from Pertamina, noting that this is still under discussion and is at the discretion of each business entity.
According to Anggia, similar meetings to discuss fuel imports will continue in the future. "So, it's up to each private business entity," he concluded.