DPR Urges Government to Restructure Subsidised Fuel Recipients to Maintain Pertalite Supply

House of Representatives (DPR RI) Commission XII member Ateng Sutisna has highlighted the potential shift of consumers from Pertamax to Pertalite due to the increasingly wide price disparity. If this is not anticipated, he said, there will be a massive migration of consumption from unsubsidised fuel to subsidised fuel. “This has the potential to burden the state budget (APBN) and disrupt the security of the Pertalite supply,” said the legislator from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction. He reminded that the Pertalite quota for 2026 has been set at 29.2 million kilolitres. Should a consumption surge occur due to the shift of middle-class vehicle users who previously used Pertamax, the quota risks being insufficient by the end of the year. Because of this, Ateng stated that the most rational step is not to raise the price of Pertalite, but to accelerate the restructuring of subsidised fuel recipients to ensure they are properly targeted. “The government must ensure that subsidies are not enjoyed by community groups who can afford non-subsidised fuel. The lower classes must not become victims due to weak oversight,” he stressed. He, therefore, urged the government to expedite the completion of the revision to Presidential Regulation Number 191 of 2014, which currently serves as the basis for regulating the distribution of subsidised fuel. He assessed that limiting consumers based on vehicle criteria and economic capability is a far more rational step compared to raising the price of Pertalite. According to Ateng, this approach is the most realistic and easily implemented option. “Luxury category vehicles and those with large engine capacities should naturally not have access to subsidised fuel, while simple family vehicles, LCGC vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles, and low-income community groups continue to receive state protection,” he explained. He also stated that strengthening a digital-based distribution system, including the optimisation of QR codes and consumer data integration through MyPertamina, can be an important instrument for reducing subsidy leakage and maintaining the country’s fiscal sustainability. “As long as world oil prices have not permanently settled above the psychological level of US$100 per barrel and the government is able to regulate the distribution of subsidised fuel, there is no urgent reason to raise the price of Pertalite,” Ateng said. “The government must focus on improving the accuracy of subsidy targeting, accelerating distribution restrictions, and maintaining the people’s purchasing power. That is more important,” he concluded.