Government cars obliged to use Pertamax

SEMARANG: The Central Java administration has issued an instruction obliging all official cars and cars operated by provincial-owned companies (BUMD) to use Pertamina’s non-subsidized Pertamax.

Provincial secretary Hadi Prabowo said the policy was introduced as part of the central government’s national energy saving movement launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last month.

Hadi said the policy would be implemented on Aug. 1, and affect more than 7,000 official cars across the province.

“This means that there will be a decrease in the volume of gasoline that can be purchased for the cars due to difference in prices [between subsidized and non-subsidized fuel],” Hadi said in Semarang on Friday.

He added that a gubernatorial decree had been prepared for the implementation of the policy.

Separately, the head of the provincial Energy and Mineral Resources Agency, Teguh Dwi Priyono, said his office was ready to make the policy a success.

He also called on all gas stations across the province to prepare a pump for Pertamax, explaining that of the more than 700 gas stations in Central Java, some were not equipped to sell Pertamax.

Meanwhile, researcher Djoko Setijowarno of the Soegijapranata Catholic University’s transportation laboratory suggested that official cars switch to gas, arguing that gas was much cheaper than Pertamax. One liter of gas costs Rp 3,100 (US 3 cents) while Pertamax costs more than Rp 10,000 per liter.