Indonesia Requires Foreign Investors to Swear Loyalty to Pertamina in New Fuel Policy
New regulation mandates allegiance oath to Pertamina as entry requirement for foreign fuel sellers in Indonesia.
JAKARTA — In a move to “streamline coordination” between private enterprise and national interest, Indonesia this week passed sweeping regulations requiring all foreign fuel retailers to swear allegiance to Pertamina before being allowed to sell even a single liter of gasoline.
Under the new “Harmonised Fuel Integrity Framework” (HFIF), foreign companies like Shell, BP, and Vivo must now participate in a state-supervised loyalty ceremony conducted at the newly refurbished “National Fuel Unity Hall.”
The ritual, described in detail in Regulation No. 102-½/FDI/2025, involves three simple but symbolic acts:
A firm handshake with a Pertamina executive,
A QR code scan linking to a binding digital declaration of compliance,
A formal apology for “any past or future acts of competitive ambition.”
Officials say the new rule is part of a broader effort to ensure “strategic alignment and emotional compatibility” between foreign companies and state energy objectives.
The regulation follows months of supply chain hiccups in which foreign retailers saw their stations run dry. In response, Indonesia generously offered a solution: purchase fuel directly from Pertamina, which has since been described as both “efficient” and “non-optional.”
“Some of these foreign brands wanted to operate like they were in an open market,” said an unnamed senior official. “That’s simply not the way here. You can’t just bring in your fancy gasoline and expect to sell it without respecting our sacred supply chain traditions.”
BP-AKR reportedly attempted to negotiate a workaround involving ethanol-free base fuel and a certificate of origin. Government officials responded by inviting them to participate in a full-day orientation program titled “Understanding the Beauty of Centralised Fuel Sovereignty.”
Shell executives were last seen entering the Ministry building carrying a bouquet and a copy of Indonesia: A Love Story in Hydrocarbons.
In addition to standard documents, the new application process for fuel licenses includes a “Personal Reflection” form in which executives are asked to share how their company emotionally supports Pertamina’s mission.
Sample questions include:
“How does your brand empower Pertamina’s growth journey?”
“Have you made peace with your competitive urges?”
“In what ways could your market presence better affirm Pertamina’s leadership role?”
Failure to answer sincerely may result in delayed licensing, reduced fuel allocation, or assignment to “emotional recalibration workshops” led by former state-owned enterprise executives.
Asked whether the policy was limiting investor appetite, one government spokesperson said, “We don’t see this as a barrier. We see it as a bonding opportunity.”
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