Is Pertamax Really Cheaper Than Pertalite? Here's Pertamina's Explanation
JAKARTA - PT Pertamina (Persero) has addressed the buzz on social media regarding the price comparison between Pertalite and Pertamax fuels.
The discussion stemmed from a social media post, including one on Threads, showing a fuel purchase receipt from a Pertamina petrol station that detailed the actual price of Pertalite.
The receipt indicated that buyers only need to pay Rp10,000 per litre for Pertalite, whose actual price reaches around Rp16,000 per litre. This means approximately Rp6,000 per litre is subsidised by the government.
The actual Pertalite price has sparked public questions because it appears higher than the current selling price of Pertamax, which is around Rp12,300 per litre, such as in the Jabodetabek area.
However, Pertamax has an RON of 92, higher quality than Pertalite with an RON of 90.
Roberth explained that Pertamax is actually classified as a General Fuel Type (JBU), whose price follows market fluctuations and receives no subsidy. However, Pertamina has not adjusted Pertamax prices since 1 April 2026.
Pertamina chose to hold Pertamax at Rp12,300 per litre amid rises in other non-subsidised fuels due to soaring global energy prices from the war in the Middle East.
According to Roberth, this was done to maintain a conducive and stable domestic situation. The decision was made after coordination between the government and Pertamina as a state-owned enterprise (BUMN).
“The government coordinated with Pertamina to avoid price adjustments from 1 April 2026. Why? Because Pertamax is also for middle-class people who can afford it. Meanwhile, (Pertamax) Turbo and others are for middle to upper (wealthy) classes,” he explained in a statement to the media on Friday (8/5/2026).
Roberth also provided an illustration through comparisons with other products. When non-subsidised fuels had not yet been adjusted, Pertamax at Rp12,300 per litre was only slightly different from Pertamax Turbo at Rp13,100 per litre.
However, with Pertamax Turbo now rising to Rp19,900 per litre, the public can estimate the actual price of Pertamax if there were no intervention.
“If Pertamax followed the economic price it should have, its price would clearly be more expensive than unsubsidised Pertalite. This is often missed or forgotten: the current Pertamax price involves the government’s role and Pertamina’s,” Roberth clarified.
The main goal of subsidising Pertalite is to maintain national stability, particularly in preserving people’s purchasing power and ensuring the wheels of the economy keep turning, especially amid global energy price pressures.
“The subsidy is to maintain national stability in terms of preserving purchasing power and the people’s economic wheel,” Roberth concluded.