Prasasti: Government Has Room to Adjust Pertamax Price

Independent think tank Prasasti Center for Policy Studies assesses that the government now has room to adjust the price of non-subsidised fuel Pertamax following the decline in global oil prices. As of Tuesday, 23 June 2026, global crude oil prices had fallen to US$77 per barrel. Prasasti’s Policy and Program Director, Piter Abdullah, stated that the government could adjust the price in line with market movements while ensuring subsidised fuel remains precisely targeted. “The decline in global oil prices opens up space for the government to adjust the Pertamax price. This adjustment is not about returning to the old price, but rather lowering it reasonably in line with market developments,” he said in a written statement on Tuesday. Citing Trading Economics, Brent crude oil prices fell to around US$77.2 per barrel on Tuesday, continuing the decline from the previous session. The drop to a three-month low coincided with signs of progress in peace negotiations between the United States and Iran. The geopolitical dynamics between the two countries have caused global oil prices to fluctuate throughout 2026. Tensions had previously pushed crude prices past US$120 per barrel. On 22 June 2026 trading, Brent was moving around US$80 per barrel before beginning to ease. According to Piter, adjusting the Pertamax price is important to prevent consumers from switching to Pertalite, a trend already visible on the ground. Lengthening queues for Pertalite indicate that some consumers have already shifted to the subsidised fuel. “If left unchecked, the limited Pertalite quota could become insufficient. Supply and demand would no longer match, risking fuel scarcity,” he said. He also assessed that improvements in subsidised fuel distribution must proceed in tandem. The government needs to ensure Pertalite distribution remains precisely targeted. Accordingly, the mechanism for distributing subsidised fuel must be improved so that it truly reaches those entitled to it. Piter noted that the government can carefully utilise this moment of easing global oil prices. Adjusting the Pertamax price can curb the shift of consumers to subsidised fuel, while maintaining more targeted subsidy pricing closes leakage loopholes. He also recommended improving the energy mix and maintaining spending discipline to keep the state budget healthy amid global uncertainty. “Amidst these shocks, the courage to pursue efficiency and restructure priority programmes is precisely the capital needed to make our state budget more resilient to turmoil,” Piter said. Previously, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa had stated that non-subsidised fuel prices could potentially fall in line with global oil price movements. “I am confident that with the potential decline in global oil prices, Pertamax and other fuel prices will also fall, thereby strengthening the foundation of our economic growth,” Purbaya said during a meeting with the Regional Representative Council in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday, 22 June 2026.