After Subsidized Fuel Barcodes Become Polemic, What's Next?
The discourse on the use of barcodes in subsidized fuel filling in Aceh, Indonesia, has immediately reaped controversy since it was conveyed by the Governor of Aceh, Muzakir Manaf, during his inauguration on Wednesday (12/2/2025). Until now, the discourse is still being debated with various arguments, both those that provide scientific views and those that are simply mocking.
Some support the idea, such as that conveyed by the Mayor of Lhokseumawe, Sayuti Abubakar, in a speech after the inauguration at the DPRK building, Monday (17/2/2025). According to him, the idea must be supported by all elements because it reduces the burden on the community when buying fuel, although Sayuti did not explain in detail the pros and cons when the requirement for subsidized fuel barcodes was abolished in Aceh.
There are also those who have the opposite view. The barcode obligation must be maintained because it has become a national regulation that applies in 234 regions in Indonesia. Aceh has also been in effect for a long time because it is an area that is used as an example. In the end, as conveyed by Pertamina officials, later at all subsidized fuel filling stations (SPBU) in Indonesia, users of subsidized fuel will be required to show barcodes.
As conveyed by Pertamina officials when responding to Muzakir Manaf's statement, the purpose of using barcodes is to ensure that the subsidy is right on target and that there is transparency in distribution throughout Indonesia.
The question arises, does the barcode requirement guarantee that the distribution of subsidized fuel is 100 percent right on target?
No one dares to be sure. However, the logic is like this, if with the barcode requirement alone it can still be manipulated in various ways, including by falsifying personal data or modifying fuel tanks as has been revealed or by other manipulations that have not been revealed, what if the barcode requirement is abolished, especially in Aceh?
There is concern that what will happen next is the misuse of subsidized fuel with various modes, such as evil conspiracy between gas station owners and unscrupulous businessmen or gas station owners selling subsidized fuel at normal prices as has happened before.
Long queues will occur at various gas stations in Aceh because the supply of subsidized fuel has not increased while consumption has increased. The general public will not easily get subsidized fuel because it has been bought fraudulently by unscrupulous businessmen.
Practices like this are not impossible to happen again so that the public will also suffer losses. The elimination of barcodes, which were initially intended to avoid problems, will actually bring bigger problems.
If you think about it further, what difficulties do people experience with the obligation to show barcodes when buying subsidized fuel. Registration to get the barcode is relatively easy for most people because it can be done online. Even for people who are not tech-savvy, there are still guides that can be done or they can ask for help from other parties while maintaining the security of personal data so that it is not misused.
Regardless of the pros and cons that have emerged in society, Pertamina has emphasized that the use of this barcode is a national policy for the distribution of subsidized fuel that is right on target, transparent, and controlled.
This means that there is little chance of a policy to improve this regulation. So why waste energy, time and thought to annul policies that will actually harm society in the long term.[]
