ESDM Reviews Proposal to Limit Purchases of 3 Kg LPG to a Maximum of 10 Cylinders Per Family

Jakarta (NSM) — The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) responded to Pertamina Patra Niaga’s proposal regarding limiting the purchase of subsidized LPG to 3 kilograms (kg) to a maximum of 10 cylinders per month for each head of family (KK). The government emphasized that this proposal is still in the study stage and has not yet become final policy.

Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung said the government is currently calculating the real need for 3 kg LPG for households based on actual consumption patterns in the field, including weekly consumption.

“So later we will look at the real needs. From there we will see approximately how much the community really needs, and that is what will be met,” said Yuliot at the DPR RI Complex, Jakarta, Thursday (29/1/2026).

Yuliot emphasized that 3 kg LPG is a subsidized item whose designation is clear, namely for underprivileged communities in decile groups 1 to 4. Therefore, every restriction policy must be based on accurate and integrated data.

He explained that the government is consolidating various data sources, starting from Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, electricity data, to data on LPG purchases at the consumer level. All this data will be analyzed before the government determines policies.

“We will consolidate all the data for analysis as a basis for policy determination,” said Yuliot.

Apart from being based on consumption data, Yuliot added, the policy of limiting LPG to 3 kg must also be in line with the subsidy budget capacity that has been determined by the Ministry of Finance.

“There is a subsidy budget determined per year. Realization of distribution must not exceed the subsidy budget that has been determined,” he said.

Control Proposal from Pertamina

Previously, Pertamina Patra Niaga proposed limiting the purchase of 3 kg LPG following a projected increase in consumption in 2026 if distribution was not controlled. This Pertamina subsidiary estimates that distribution of 3 kg LPG in 2026 could reach around 8.7 million metric tons (MT).

Deputy Main Director of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Achmad Muchtasyar, explained that this projection increased by around 3.2 percent compared to the actual distribution of 3 kg LPG in 2025 which was recorded at 8.51 million MT.

“If distribution is carried out without control or without restrictions, the projection is to increase by around 3.2 percent of the allocation,” he said in a hearing with Commission XII DPR RI, Tuesday (27/1/2026).

On the other hand, if controls are implemented, Achmad estimates that distribution of 3 kg LPG in 2026 can actually be reduced to around 8.2 million MT, or a decrease of around 2.6 percent compared to the previous year’s realization.

However, this figure is still higher than the 3 kg LPG quota in the 2026 APBN which is set at 8 million MT. However, the difference is considered not too big.

“If controlled, the increase will be around 300 thousand tons. Not that much,” said Achmad.

For this reason, Pertamina Patra Niaga hopes for support from the DPR so that the government can immediately impose restrictions on purchasing 3 kg LPG, so that the distribution of energy subsidies becomes more targeted.

He also mentioned the need for regulatory adjustments, including the use of the latest decile as the basis for determining subsidy recipients, replacing the old provisions regulated in Presidential Regulation Number 104 of 2007.

Based on Pertamina’s presentation, the 3 kg LPG purchase limit is proposed to be implemented in stages. In the first quarter of 2026, distribution will still run normally. Furthermore, in the second and third quarters of 2026, a maximum limit of 10 cylinders per month per family will be imposed.

In the final stage, namely the fourth quarter of 2026, restrictions are planned to be based on recipient segments or deciles, with a fixed purchase limit of a maximum of 10 tubes per month per household.