Erick Thohir Dismisses Rumors That Pertamina Will Phase Out Pertalite
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7 September 2023 20:52 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Erick Thohir clarified that the news that Pertalite will be phased out was not true. He stressed that neither the ministry nor state-run gas and oil giant Pertamina had ever made such a statement.
“Regarding all the talks published by the media that Pertalite will be removed, there has never been such a statement,” Erick told reporters at the Cooperative and MSME Gallery Building, South Tangerang, on Thursday, September 7, 2023.
He even questioned the source of the statement. “Who said that? There's never been a statement that Pertalite will be abolished,” he confirmed.
According to him, the government would instead make efficiency on the consumption of Pertalite. People will not be allowed to use subsidized gasoline like Pertalite for their vehicles if they can afford non-subsidized ones.
He added that people could help reduce air pollution by purchasing bioethanol fuel. He cited Brazil as an example of how it has been able to tackle pollution by using more environmentally friendly types of fuel.
“In Brazil, 67 percent of vehicles use bioethanol. As a result, the sky is blue,” Erick said.
Issues about Pertamina’s plan to phase out Pertalite arose from the second phase of its Blue Sky Program, which is part of the efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. Under this program, 90-octane fuel such as Pertalite will be replaced with 92-octane fuel.
In a hearing with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) on August 30, 2023, Pertamina Director Nicke Widyawati announced that the company planned to launch a new product, Pertamax Green 92, which is a fuel blend of Pertalite and seven percent ethanol next year.
SULTAN ABDURRAHMAN | ANDIKA DWI | ANTARA
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