When Will Restrictions on Pertalite Purchases Begin? Here's What Purbaya Says

The government is currently drafting a new policy aimed at limiting consumption of subsidised Pertalite fuel.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said that, as of now, the government is still working out the details of its implementation.

“We don’t know yet, it depends on when we implement it,” Purbaya said after a meeting with Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia at the Juanda I Building of the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Tuesday (11/8/2026).

According to Purbaya, before the policy is executed, the government must first complete the consumption control system.

He also stressed that timing is crucial for executing a policy designed to ensure that subsidised fuel distribution is properly targeted.

“We are currently testing what the system looks like, and roughly when it would be most appropriate to run it, and how much we set. But the system is already in place,” Purbaya asserted.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia added that the plan to restrict Pertalite use for certain income deciles is part of the government’s effort to ensure subsidised fuel reaches the right recipients.

“As we all know, some subsidies have not been properly targeted. Why should we subsidise the wealthy, for example with Pertalite? Decile 9 and decile 10 still receive subsidies. This is what we are starting to discuss — the system and everything else — so that the hundreds of trillions of rupiah in subsidies truly go to our fellow citizens who are entitled to receive them,”

“And this is in line with what the President has directed. That is why we are holding this ministerial coordination meeting,” Bahlil said at the same location on Tuesday (11/8/2026).