Pertamax Price Surge Sees Citizens Flock to Pertalite

The increase in non-subsidised fuel prices for Pertamax, from Rp12,300 to Rp16,250, has drawn complaints from the public. Feeling overburdened, they have opted to switch to Pertalite. Alvin (26), a resident of Semarang, Central Java, admitted he was shocked by the very sudden Pertamax price hike on Wednesday. “Yesterday the price was still around 12 thousand something, now it has gone up. The government is being a bit excessive,” he said when met at the Pertamina Ahmad Yani petrol station in Semarang. Alvin had just purchased Pertamax for his Yamaha Nmax motorcycle. From the start, he had used Pertamax because he felt it made the engine condition and throttle response smoother. “However, with the current Pertamax price increase, in the future I might just downgrade to Pertalite,” Alvin stated. He added that by switching to Pertalite, the engine condition might not be as smooth as when using Pertamax. “But the important thing is that my expenses decrease.” Alvin admitted he was quite worried about the increase in non-subsidised fuel prices, which is also accompanied by a surge in the prices of goods. Moreover, the global situation is uncertain due to conflicts. “Maybe in the future the situation could get out of hand. The worst case is that the people might stage a major demonstration,” he said. He hopes the government can adopt policies that are more pro-people going forward. “The government should calculate and be wiser, especially for the underprivileged. Perhaps unimportant funds could be allocated to those who need them more,” said Alvin. Raditya (46) also plans to switch from Pertamax to Pertalite. The Banyumanik resident usually uses Pertamax for his Honda Vario motorcycle. “Earlier I put in Rp30,000 worth. Because today it went up to Rp16,250, whereas I usually could fill it up fully, now I cannot,” he said when met at the Pertamina Veteran petrol station. Like Alvin, Raditya admitted he was shocked by the sudden and significant Pertamax price hike. “Of course it is very disappointing, especially as our situation is currently difficult. If the increase wasn’t significant, it might still be okay. Programmes that burden us, like MBG or Kopdes, should just be scrapped and diverted to more significant subsidies such as energy and education.” Raditya revealed that he would switch to using Pertalite in the future. “So I will downgrade, switch over. Maybe I’ll use charcoal tomorrow,” Raditya quipped. Dani (30), another Semarang resident, will also switch from being a Pertamax user to Pertalite. “This price hike is really heavy. With my current economic condition, I choose to just move to Pertalite,” he said after buying Pertamax at the Pertamina Ahmad Yani petrol station. He admitted he usually uses Pertamax for his Honda Beat motorcycle, the reason being it makes the engine feel smoother. “I hope the price can come down, don’t let it be too heavy,” said Dani. Dani is worried that the increase in non-subsidised fuel prices, including the prices of goods, will continue. “If it’s like this, I’m worried the economy will slump further and be destroyed.”