Fuel campaign may be futile

A comment on The Jakarta Post's July 21 article, Fuel campaign targets vehicle owners.

To try and make certain car owners use Pertamax would be futile, the only benefits would be reaped by the authorities who would burden the state budget by claiming expenses to carry out this operation and who would then pocket the proceeds.

It is common knowledge that most owners of imported cars with machine output above 2,000 cc are already using Pertamax or Pertamax Plus petrol. Today, even affluent owners of a Kijangs are seen using Pertamax.

On the other hand, if yearly taxes on private vehicles were to be increased, the government should also consider that most vehicle owners would be reluctant to transfer vehicle documents into their name when they bought a second-hand car. The government should abolish all administration charges on vehicles, therefore allowing vehicle owners to transfer a vehicle into their name at no cost.

The government could earn extra revenue by increasing the road tax while at the same time creating these efficiencies.

VICTOR SUBAGIO, Jakarta