Government Will Restrict People Able To Buy Pertalite And Solar

Illustration of Pertamina gas station. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The government plans to limit the rich in purchasing subsidized fuel (BBM) types of Pertalite and Solar. The goal is for distribution to be more targeted.

Secretary General of the National Energy Council (DEN) Djoko Siswanto said the government will make regulations that regulate two things, namely the increase in world oil prices and the shift of consumers from non-subsidized fuel to subsidized fuel due to price disparities.

"In the Presidential Regulation, it is not only Pertalite type fuel that will be refined, one more crucial thing is diesel fuel because diesel is still subsidized even though it is subsidized per liter, but the price is still very cheap when compared to non-subsidized diesel," said Djoko as quoted by Antara, Monday. May 30.

Currently, said Djoko, the price of subsidized diesel is only Rp. 5,100 per liter. Meanwhile, the price of non-subsidized diesel has reached almost Rp. 13,000 per liter.

Djoko said that the war between Ukraine and Russia had made world oil prices soar, especially gasoline, so that the domestic price of Pertamax rose to Rp. 12,500 per liter.

Meanwhile, the government also did not increase the price of Pertalite which made the difference in the price of fuel for this type of assignment similar between Diesel and Gasoline.

This then makes consumers switch from buying Pertamax to Pertalite.

This situation makes Pertamina's financial burden even heavier because the company has to import around 50 percent of gasoline at a high price.

Meanwhile, the selling price of the product did not increase according to the economic price.

"These two things will be further regulated by the new Presidential Regulation," said Djoko.

He added, Solar is the first priority that the government will regulate because this type of fuel is used not only by motor vehicles, but also by mining and plantation industries, to large ships.

As for Pertalite, there was only a shift in consumers which made the distribution volume increase.

Meanwhile, member of Commission VII DPR RI Mulyanto said his party had met with PT Pertamina (Persero) and BPH Migas to discuss the rules for purchasing subsidized fuel.

In the meeting, said Mulyanto, Pertamina hopes that the purchasing rules can be arranged so that the distribution of subsidized fuel and assignments can be more targeted.

"When the price of unsubsidized diesel continues to increase, it means that the disparity is getting higher, this is more vulnerable, so diesel must be regulated. Then, when following Pertamax, something similar happened, there was a high gap between Pertalite and Pertamax," he said.

The government is currently formulating consumers who are entitled to receive subsidized fuel.

In general, those entitled to receive subsidized fuel are small businesses, micro-enterprises, small farmers whose land is less than two hectares, and public transportation.

In various forums, continued Mulyanto, he tends to propose that the government tighten the purchase of Pertalite, in which luxury cars and official cars are not allowed to use Pertalite, including diesel.

"We direct that purchases are more targeted to those in need. So, that's the urgency," concluded Mulyanto.