Jakarta. The government recently denied that import curbs were what led to the current fuel shortages at private-run gas stations Shell and BP-AKR.

Deputy Energy Minister Yuliot Tanjung told reporters Wednesday that the government would make sure that they would issue import permits for private operators without a hitch.

“No, it’s not [because we are restricting the fuel import permits],” Yuliot told the press, when asked to confirm about the stock crunch in Jakarta.

Indonesia had witnessed similar supply shortages in February, something that Yuliot attributed to a rise in consumer demand. He added: “We will evaluate the nationwide fuel supply.”

According to Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, private-run companies currently get an import quota that is 10 percent bigger compared to last year. As people search for fuel, the government nudges the state-run oil firm Pertamina into meeting the fuel demand amidst the shortage. “We will strengthen Pertamina’s role,” Bahlil said.

Shell Indonesia’s boss Ingrid Siburian confirmed that the company had run out of stock at multiple stations. She admitted that she could not give an exact timeline of when things would go back to normal. The low supply came just months after the company unveiled plans to exit its fuel retail business in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

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