Jakarta. The government has called on state energy company Pertamina to supply high-quality fuel to private retailers such as Shell and BP, which have frequently reported shortages in recent weeks, Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung said on Wednesday.

Authorities plan to bring together Pertamina executives and private fuel retailers to discuss potential cooperation. “Products refined at Pertamina’s facilities must meet the quality standards required by private retailers,” Yuliot told reporters in Jakarta.

Until now, private fuel retailers in Indonesia have relied heavily on imports to serve their customers. But as demand for non-subsidized fuel grows, they have struggled to keep up, leading to intermittent stockouts at their stations.

According to Yuliot, the surge in demand stems from new government restrictions on purchases of subsidized fuel such as Pertalite, which is sold at Rp 10,000 ($0.63) per liter. Under the policy, motorists must first register their vehicle license plates with Pertamina, and each purchase requires barcode verification.

Since the restrictions took effect, sales of non-subsidized fuel have risen by about 1.4 million kiloliters, Yuliot said, without elaborating further. “This is what has driven higher demand at private retailers,” he added.

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