PONTIANAK, thekabarnews.com—Pertamina Patra Niaga has blocked thousands of QR codes used to purchase subsidized diesel in West Kalimantan (Kalbar). The company took action after its monitoring system detected indications of misuse, a company official said.

Widhi Tri Adhi Hidayat, Pertamina Patra Niaga’s sales area manager for West Kalimantan, disclosed the action. He explained the situation after the West Kalimantan Truck Drivers Alliance raised fuel-distribution complaints at the provincial governor’s office in Pontianak on Monday, July 27.

“We have blocked thousands of barcodes or QR codes in West Kalimantan because they showed indications of misuse. We had to block them so they could no longer be used,” Widhi said.

The drivers raised concerns about alleged QR-code misuse by fuel resellers, locally known as pelangsir. They also raised concerns about suspected sales of subsidized diesel above the official price ceiling.

West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan met representatives of the alliance alongside Pertamina, police and transportation-sector officials to discuss the complaints.

Pertamina uses the Subsidy Appropriate Fuel Program, or Subsidi Tepat, to link a registered vehicle with a unique QR code.

The system records subsidized-fuel transactions and allows the company to identify suspicious patterns. For instance, these include repeated purchases or the use of multiple codes for one vehicle.

Widhi said legitimate consumers could request a review if Pertamina had blocked their QR codes. This applies if the block was because of suspected activity by another party.

“Residents whose codes have been blocked can also contact us if they use them for personal needs,” he added.

Pertamina will verify each request before deciding whether to reactivate a code. Consumers can report problems through Pertamina’s official service channels, including Call Center 135.

The West Kalimantan action forms part of a broader effort to prevent subsidized fuel from reaching unauthorized users.

On July 21, Pertamina blocked the QR codes of 15 vehicles in Ketapang Regency. This took place after inspections and digital monitoring identified suspected repeated purchases and other irregularities.

Nationally, Pertamina blocked 307,107 fuel QR codes between 2023 and July 14, 2026. The total included 232,374 codes registered for subsidized BioSolar and 74,733 for Pertalite.

The company also reset or updated more than 1.5 million vehicle records during that period. This information comes from data presented at a House of Representatives hearing.

Widhi said Pertamina would also act against fuel stations proven to have violated subsidized-fuel distribution rules.

The company may impose measures ranging from formal guidance to the suspension of subsidized-fuel deliveries. In addition, it may revoke a station’s operating authorization.

The tighter controls aim to ensure that subsidized diesel reaches eligible users, including truck drivers who depend on the fuel for freight operations. Consumers who believe Pertamina wrongly blocked their codes can request verification from the company.