Indonesia’s state oil company said on August 1 that it had not received orders to stop selling a cheap brand of gasoline, contrary to social media posts that said it would be pulled from gas stations that month. The posts shared a news report that originally aired in January, quoting a government minister as saying he was open to pulling Pertalite from the market, without specifying when the proposed changes would take effect.
“Pertalite has been discontinued in August 2024. Get ready. Everything will be expensive in 2024,” read the Indonesian text overlay on a TikTok Post from May 22nd.
The Indonesian government subsidizes the price of pertalite, making it one of the cheapest fuels for the country’s ubiquitous motorcycles and motorcycle taxis, known as ojek.
In the TikTok video, a newsreader says that Pertalite will be taken off the market in August 2024 and replaced with Pertamax Green, which is touted as a more environmentally friendly alternative.
Indonesia has been considering leaving Pertalite in place for years, citing concerns about pollution from clogged roads and a drive to reduce oil imports.
The plan is not popular, however, with many arguing that cutting out the relatively cheap gasoline would increase the cost of motorcycles and cars for millions of Indonesians.
In July, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, said the government would impose “restrictions” on the sale of pertalite, without giving further details.
This did not prevent reports from appearing stating that Pertalite would no longer be distributed. TikTok, SnackVideo And X.
Some social media users appeared to believe the claim.
“People’s hard work comes with a very difficult economy,” one person noted, adding that commodities should be “cheap.”
“It happened, you don’t have to regret it, this is what you voted for,” wrote another, apparently referring to Indonesia’s presidential election in February.
‘Still delivering’ Pertaliet
A spokesman for Indonesia’s state oil company Pertamina, which distributes Pertalite, said the reports were unfounded.
Fadjar Santoso, head of Pertamina’s public communications department, said the company has not received any orders to stop or restrict sales.
“Pertalite is a subsidized fuel whose authority lies with the government. So far, Pertamina is still obliged to supply Pertalite,” he told AFP on August 1.
A keyword search revealed that the news story shared online was originally broadcasted by Indonesian broadcaster BeritaSatu on January 20 (archived link).
Below is a screenshot of a comparison between the misleading messages (left) and the BeritaSatu report (right):
The report speculated that pertalite production would be halted. It quoted Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif as saying he would not object to the plan if it did not require additional budget.
He did not give a specific date for when such a plan would come into effect.
