Hoax! ESDM Ministry Spokesperson Asks Public to Use Diesel Because Pertamax Price Rises

A post circulating on social media platform X falsely claimed that Dwi Anggia, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), urged the public to use diesel because the price of Pertamax had risen to Rp16,250 per litre. The post included a screenshot of a news article and a fabricated quote attributed to the spokesperson.

Upon investigation, no official statement or news report was found in which Dwi Anggia made such a suggestion. The photograph used in the hoax post was traced back to an interview conducted at the ESDM Ministry office in Jakarta on Thursday, 11 June 2026. In that interview, Dwi Anggia explained that the price of Pertamax was still below the economic price compared to equivalent RON 92 fuels in neighbouring countries, which ranged from Rp20,000 to Rp21,000 per litre. She also noted that the price increase for non-subsidised fuels was influenced by global geopolitical conditions affecting world oil prices.

Furthermore, she clarified that Pertamax is a non-subsidised fuel whose price follows market mechanisms, unlike subsidised fuels which receive government support. At no point did she recommend that the public use diesel as a substitute for Pertamax. The claim circulating on social media is therefore entirely false and has been officially rated as a hoax.