Former Minister Of Finance Chatib Basri Reminds Migration Of Pertamax Users To Pertalite: Due To The Price Gap Which Is Too Big Of IDR 16,000 Compared To IDR 7,650

Senior economist, Chatib Basri. (Photo: Instagram @chatibbasri)

JAKARTA - Former Minister of Finance M Chatib Basri warned of the possibility of migrating public consumption from Pertamax to BBM. This is the aftermath of the government's decision to increase the price of RON 92 Pertamax fuel in April to IDR 16,000 per liter.

"There is something that needs to be anticipated regarding the increase in Pertamax: the price gap," wrote Chatib Basri on his Twitter account @ChatibBasri, Thursday, March 31.

According to Chatib, the switch from Pertamax users to Pertalite was triggered by the large price difference between the two types of fuel sold by PT Pertamina (Persero).

"Pertamax goes up to Rp. 16,000, Pertalite remains at Rp. 7,650, so there can be migration from Pertamax to Pertalite," he explained.

He continued, if there was a consumption migration from Pertamax to Pertalite, it would cause over-quota and the burden on the state budget to rise sharply.

For this reason, Chatib suggested the government to provide subsidies that target the poor so that the subsidies provided are more targeted.

"Better targeted subsidies for people than goods," Chatib tweeted.

Previously, during a hearing with Commission VII on Tuesday, March 29, the Director General of Oil and Gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Tutuka Ariadji, said that this year's Pertalite quota was set at 23.05 million kiloliters (KL). Until February 2022, the realization of Pertalite distribution was recorded at 4.258 million KL. This realization was 18.5 percent higher than the quota set for January-February 2022.

"If it is estimated through the normal scenario, then at the end of 2022 there will be an over-quota of 15 percent from the normal quota to 26.5 million KL," he explained.