Regarding Pertamax Price Increase, Erick Thohir: Not Subsidized Fuel, Wait April 1

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir has signaled that the Pertamax type of fuel oil (BBM) sold by Pertamina will experience a price increase in the near future. It is planned that the price increase will occur in early April.

Furthermore, Erick said that the price increase occurred because Pertamax was not a fuel product subsidized by the government. Even so, said Erick, the government has decided to provide subsidies for Pertalite fuel. Thus, the selling price of Pertalite has not changed.

"So if Pertamax goes up, I'm sorry. But the Pertalite subsidy (price) remains the same. Wait for April 1," he said while giving a public lecture at Hasanudin University Makassar, quoted on Thursday, March 31.

Erick said, the state must spend very deep to provide fuel subsidies to the community. In fact, the amount reaches trillions of rupiah. This includes electricity subsidies for 450 VA customers.

"But that is the government's policy in which fuel subsidies reach tens of trillions. Yesterday 450 electricity was free, social assistance and others. So the government is here," he explained.