Pertamina Reveals Reasons Behind Pertamax Fuel Price Hike

Jakarta – PT Pertamina Patra Niaga has disclosed the reasons behind the increase in the price of non-subsidised Pertamax (RON 92) fuel to Rp16,250 per litre, effective 10 June 2026. The move aims to maintain a balance between affordability for the public and the sustainability of the national fuel supply. VP Commercial & Shipping Business Development of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Sigit Setiawan, explained that global fuel prices have surged significantly due to heightened international geopolitical tensions, which drove up world crude oil prices. According to him, Pertamina had been striving to hold back the selling price of non-subsidised fuel, particularly Pertamax, even though its import procurement costs had already exceeded the price sold at petrol stations. This Pertamax price hike is the first since the spike in world oil prices triggered by the Israel-Iran war that erupted on 28 February 2026. While other non-subsidised fuel prices were raised on 18 April 2026, Pertamax prices had not yet seen an adjustment. He noted the economic price of Pertamax (RON 92) now stands around Rp20,000 to Rp21,000 per litre. This means even at the new price of Rp16,250 per litre, it remains below its economic value. ‘In the market, due to the recent geopolitical conditions, RON 92 is already priced around Rp20,000 to Rp21,000. We have been holding on, trying to keep it at Rp12,300,’ he said during a National Energy Council (DEN) discussion at the IPB Campus in Bogor, as quoted on Thursday (11/6/2026). He stated that by regulation, the pricing of non-subsidised domestic fuel follows market prices and receives no fiscal assistance from the government. Therefore, Pertamina stressed that the price adjustment is crucial to guarantee the company’s ability to repurchase fuel feedstock on the international market to safeguard national stock resilience. ‘The logic is, we at Pertamina buy goods on the import market at high prices, then sell them domestically at a lower price. The money we earn cannot be used to buy the same volume on the market again. The volume will drop. As a consequence, stock availability will decline,’ he added. Sigit assessed that if prices continued to be maintained below the economic value, it could trigger problems directly impacting the community. After coordinating with the government, Pertamina decided to implement a measured price adjustment. ‘We do not want a situation where this continues, so that the availability of energy products decreases for the public. Once there is peak demand, it will become a problem,’ he added. Separately, Corporate Secretary of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Roberth MV Dumatubun, explained that the price adjustment for non-subsidised Pertamax was made while still considering purchasing power and the national economy. Meanwhile, subsidised fuel prices remain unchanged and are sold according to applicable regulations. According to him, market and economic price factors are among the reasons for the adjustment. After coordination with the regulator, the Pertamax price adjustment was finally implemented. ‘It is more about the upstream-to-downstream business process of energy provision, which, in coordination with the regulator, needs to be dynamic and adapt to current conditions in response to the present phenomenon,’ he said.