Indonesia seeks faster fuel deliveries beyond Java and Bali
Pertamina has been instructed to expand its transport fleet as river conditions hamper fuel shipments in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
Indonesia's government is prioritising faster fuel deliveries to Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi following the stabilisation of supplies in Bali, Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia said.
Bahlil, who also serves as energy and mineral resources minister, instructed state-owned PT Pertamina to increase its transport fleet. He said the government was taking measures to address distribution bottlenecks and prevent further disruptions.
Pertamina President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri told a high-level coordination meeting that parts of the three regions face supply-chain constraints. Fuel normally travels by river, but weather-related sedimentation and falling water levels have blocked passage for large tankers and barges. Switching deliveries to roads has made journeys considerably longer.
In Bali, delayed shipments from Java had reduced fuel stocks to three to four days of supply. Additional tankers subsequently raised reserves to 11 to 12 days, a level described as safe, while queues at petrol stations eased.
Bahlil linked Bali's disruption to technical problems in Pertamina's logistics management, while stressing that resolving them was a shared responsibility. The government said nationwide fuel reserves remained secure and its focus was on improving distribution so supplies reach every province on time.
