A tanker that had arrived in Bali on Tuesday with more than 22 million litres of fuel failed to unload its cargo because of a malfunction at the port, halting the supply that was expected to keep the island running for a week.
The delay turned the city’s gas stations into long‑line sites, with queues stretching over a kilometre in Denpasar. Around 500 people gathered outside Governor I Wayan Koster’s office, chanting for a swift resolution.
The protester, 21‑year‑old Adolf Alfino, said he had waited four to eight hours in line and hoped the government would act more efficiently. Another demonstrator, 23‑year‑old store clerk Ibram Syahbani, complained his family was affected by the shortages.
Governor Koster ordered all government employees to work from home for three days, while schools and universities would switch to online learning, and he urged residents to stay calm amid the crisis.
Pertamina, the state‑owned oil firm, blamed the delay on a tanker discharging issue and said the cargo would now be distributed to meet demand for up to seven days. Jakarta’s fuel‑purchase limits introduced in March have compounded the shortage, a result of the Iran war’s impact on global supplies.
Authorities plan to begin using the tanker’s cargo immediately, with a full supply expected by early next week, while the government monitors the situation and prepares for a potential repeat of the disruption.