Birocracracy Halangi Pertamax Down, Minister Of SOEs Asks For Price Adjustments To Be Announced As Of Sunday

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir requested that the announcement of non-subsidized fuel oil (BBM) prices for the Pertamax type be announced once a week.

The reason, said Erick, was because Pertamax prices followed market prices. Erick also admitted that so far he has often been trapped by the bureaucracy and it is difficult to adjust market prices.

"So that the Pertamax price in Indonesia can be announced every week. In order to match market prices, we should not be trapped in the bureaucracy, the rules have not been issued," Erick said at the Initial Press Conference in 2023, Monday, January 2.

Furthermore, Erick said, when referring to the ministry's rules, the announcement of Pertamax prices was made once a month. In fact, Pertamax is a non-subsidized fuel.

Even though it is non-subsidized, said Erick, the government still provides subsidies to these fuel products. The goal is to keep Pertamax prices affordable by the public.

"It's amazing that the government is really good, Pertamax is just subsidized even though there is no law," he said.

Currently, Erick admitted that he was conducting consultations regarding price adjustments. Consultations are carried out so that no rules are violated.

"Why was it postponed? Because I want to make sure it doesn't violate it. Because later it will be suspected that the Minister of SOEs will just play collisions," he explained.