North Kalimantan Fuel Queue Sparks Transparency Demands

The Alliance of Community Movement (GEMA) Bulungan in North Kalimantan (Kaltara) has urged state oil firm Pertamina Patra Niaga and the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) to provide transparent explanations regarding the daily vehicle queues at the Sengkawit gas station in Tanjung Selor. The demand follows widespread media reports and public discussions on social media about the recurring congestion at SPBU 6477201. Sakti Abimayu, Coordinator of GEMA Bulungan, stated that the public has the right to know the actual cause based on official supervision and evaluation. "This daily queue should not continue to be a polemic. We ask Pertamina and BPH Migas to publicly convey what is actually happening, so that the public is not constantly served with various assumptions that develop in social media and in the community," Abimayu said. He emphasized that if the queues are due to high demand, distribution issues, or technical factors, these details must be explained to the public. Conversely, if any deviations in fuel distribution are found, the inspection results and actions taken must also be made public. "Transparency will eliminate public doubts and become a form of accountability to the public," Abimayu added. Sakti, who also serves as the secretary of the Kaltara KNPI, called on BPH Migas to conduct an audit and evaluation of the fuel distribution system at the Sengkawit gas station. The alliance stressed that their demand is not to accuse anyone but to ensure that public discourse is answered with facts and data from official examinations. "We expect the supervision results to be published so the public knows the actual condition. We must prevent situations where traders and industrial vehicles disproportionately purchase subsidized fuel," he stated. Previously, the Sengkawit gas station management attributed the long queues not to fuel shortages but to an increase in refueling vehicles, including those from outside Bulungan Regency and Kaltara. As of this report, Pertamina Patra Niaga and BPH Migas have not issued an official response. Source: VOI English