TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State - owned oil company Pertamina said that the consumption volume of Premium gasoline in the first half of 2017 amounted to 6.8 million kiloliters. The figure shows a significant decline by 5.8 million kiloliters from to last year's first semester.
Pertamina marketing manager Muchamad Iskandar said on Wednesday, August 16, that the decline is due to consumers' preference to buy non-subsidized fuel.
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According to Iskandar, in 2016 the use of Premium gasoline accounted for 81.1 percent. As of July this year, the number dropped to 42.4 percent as more and more people have turned to Pertamax (16.9 percent), Pertalite (39.9 percent) and other non-subsidized gasoline brands by Pertamina.
He also said that the use of gasoline increased from last year's 15.5 million kiloliters to 16 million kiloliters this year, while diesel fuel use rose to 6.5 million kiloliters.
Iskandar added that Pertamina's fuel sales in the first half rose 4.0 percent.
"The increased sales of non-subsidized fuel contributed to our revenue increase in the first semester of 2017," he said.
IMAM HAMDI