MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The recurring fuel shortage in North Sumatra is a serious warning sign of weaknesses in the management and oversight of energy distribution. The issue should not be portrayed merely as a routine operational disruption or answered with normative statements claiming that sufficient reserves are available and that the public should avoid so-called panic buying. The public needs a rational, transparent, and verifiable explanation—not explanations that create further questions.
The reasons cited by
Pertamina, such as distribution delays, limited transportation capacity, increased consumption, or other operational challenges, may be understood as part of normal business dynamics. However, these explanations fail to answer the key question of why shortages occurred almost simultaneously across numerous regions. If fuel stocks were indeed sufficient, why were many gas stations experiencing supply disruptions at the same time? If the distribution system was operating according to established standards, why were disruptions able to affect supply for such an extended period? These inconsistencies indicate that critical parts of the supply chain have yet to be fully explained to the public.
Distribution System Weaknesses and Poor Risk Management
The claim that increased demand was a major cause of the shortage raises even more concerns. This argument actually reveals weaknesses in planning. Rising fuel consumption during holiday periods is not an unpredictable event. It occurs almost every year and should therefore have become a permanent component of national distribution planning.
Modern logistics systems rely on demand forecasting, historical analysis, and risk management. If a predictable increase in demand still results in shortages, the problem is not only related to consumption but also reflects inadequate risk assessment and insufficient preparation of distribution capacity.
Even if transportation problems are identified as a cause, questions remain regarding the resilience of the system. Fuel supply is a strategic sector of public interest. Such a system should have emergency plans, reserve vehicles, alternative delivery routes, crisis management centers, and accelerated procedures in the event of disruptions within the supply chain.
If a single operational problem can cause shortages in multiple areas, it indicates a fragile supply security structure. This condition should not be considered normal.
If natural disasters such as landslides, severe floods, earthquakes, or other force majeure events were the cause, the public could understand these circumstances. However, if the main reasons involve transportation, personnel, or rising demand, it is reasonable to question the quality of risk management within a state-owned company and the effectiveness of government oversight.
In public administration, repeated failures can no longer be viewed as isolated incidents; they become indications of systemic failure.
Recurring Shortages Undermine Public Trust
The most concerning issue is the repetition of the problem. Fuel shortages in North Sumatra are not a first-time occurrence. Similar situations have happened several times, often accompanied by comparable explanations. Repeated incidents are a clear indication that the fundamental causes have not been permanently resolved.
Each crisis has so far been addressed mainly through short-term measures, while structural improvements remain barely visible. The consequences are ultimately borne by the public: long queues at gas stations, disruptions to economic activities, rising transportation costs, and potential increases in the prices of basic necessities.
The government should not limit its response to warning people against panic buying. Such appeals may even distract attention from the real issue. Public concern does not emerge without reason. It is a natural response when people experience reduced availability, longer queues, and unclear information regarding when supply conditions will return to normal.
The most effective way to prevent panic is not through appeals but through guaranteed supply availability and an open information policy.
Call for Independent Investigation and Energy Management Reform
The government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure the availability of essential public services. Energy is not merely an economic commodity but a fundamental component of social life. Disruptions in fuel supply directly affect mobility, logistics costs, business productivity, food prices, healthcare services, and education.
Therefore, failure to maintain continuous fuel availability cannot be viewed solely as a technical issue. It concerns the government's responsibility to provide reliable public services.
Independent Investigation Team Needed
It is time to establish an independent investigation team consisting of representatives from the government, BPH Migas, the Indonesian Ombudsman, the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK), law enforcement agencies, academics, and civil society representatives.
The investigation should not stop at identifying distribution problems. It must examine the entire supply chain, evaluate supply capacity, analyze internal control systems, investigate possible irregularities in distribution, identify potential hoarding or speculation, and determine whether management failures contributed to disruptions in public services.
The findings must be made public to ensure transparency and accountability.
This crisis should also become an opportunity for comprehensive reform of the fuel distribution system. Real-time digital monitoring of fuel reserves, early warning systems, stronger regional reserves, diversified logistics routes, increased transportation capacity, and regular risk assessments must become new standards.
Without structural improvements, fuel shortages will continue to recur-only with changing explanations while the underlying causes remain unresolved.
The public does not need excuses; it needs security. The more frequently explanations change while the problem continues to occur, the stronger the suspicion of administrative weaknesses, inadequate oversight, or undisclosed irregularities.
Transparency is not a voluntary option but an obligation. Accountability is not merely a slogan but the foundation of public trust in the government and companies managing strategic resources.
Unless the true causes are openly disclosed and followed by measurable corrective actions, fuel shortages will remain a recurring cycle—while public confidence continues to decline. (IDNC)
By: Dr. Farid Wajdi, S.H., M.Hum
The author is the founder of Ethics of Care, a member of Indonesia's Judicial Commission (2015–2020), and a lecturer at UMSU.