Removing Pertalite Needs In-depth Study, PAN: Don't Just Awaken From The Pandemic In Fact It's Even Harder To Buy BBM

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the PAN faction of the DPR RI, Saleh Partaonan Daulay, believes that the government needs to conduct an in-depth study before eliminating the circulation of Pertalite type fuel oil (BBM). In particular, the economic impact on the lower middle class.

Because Saleh said, the community was struggling to restore the economic condition of their households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the discourse on the abolition of Pertalite is expected not to bring back the current economic condition of the residents.

"Don't let people who have just emerged from the pandemic be complicated by the need to buy more expensive fuel without subsidies," Saleh said in Jakarta, Thursday, December 30.

The member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives reminded that increasingly expensive fuel would have implications for increasing prices in various other sectors, including the price of basic commodities. Of course this condition will be more difficult for the people.

For this reason, Saleh said, PAN asked the government to postpone the implementation of the Pertalite elimination policy until the community's economy was completely recovered and stable.

"PAN recommends that the discourse on the elimination of Pertalite by Pertamina be postponed until the community's economic conditions are more stable and improve," he concluded.

It is known, the Government through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has again put forward a plan to eliminate RON 88 or Premium fuel oil.

Later gasoline with RON 90, namely Pertalite, will be a substitute for Premium during the transition period. However, Pertalite will also be removed after the transition period is complete.

With the abolition of Pertalite and Premium BBM, there will only be gasoline with an octane level (Research Octane Number / RON) above 91 which is considered more environmentally friendly like Pertamax.