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Consumers flee to rival brands, fueled by Pertamina scandal
Customers are up in arms over the massive corruption scandal implicating Pertamina, with some turning to more expensive but quality-assured rival brands and others deliberately purchasing potentially doctored nonsubsidized fuel to ensure that taxpayer-funded subsidies reached their intended recipients.
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An attendant serves a customer at a Pertamina gas station in this undated photo. (Pertamina Patra Niaga /Pertamina Patra Niaga )
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ustomers of Pertamina’s nonsubsidized fuel brands have expressed both anger and disappointment over the recent US$12 billion corruption scandal embroiling some subsidiaries of the state-owned oil and gas giant.
Among the many findings to emerge from the ongoing investigation by the Attorney General’s Office is that lower-grade fuel with a research octane number (RON) of 90 or below had been sold as the more expensive RON 92 fuel under the Pertamax brand.
This has prompted some consumers to switch to a different brand sold by private competitors, even though it would cost more. Others have taken matters into their own hands, due to frustration that Pertamina is the only fuel retailer in their area.
Setya, who uses a motorcycle for her daily commute in Bali, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that she planned on switching to Pertalite, Pertamina’s RON 90 subsidized fuel brand. Even though it was intended for low-income earners, she said she had no other options since Pertamina had a virtual monopoly on gas stations in her region.
On the flip side, other motorists have decided to purchase only nonsubsidized fuel brands in a bid to ensure that taxpayers’ money would not go to waste in subsidies meant for the poor.
Since last October, Pertamina has also required consumers to register via the company’s app to purchase Pertalite, as part of measures to better control and monitor sales of the subsidized fuel.
Still others have come to the realization that using nonsubsidized fuel would help maintain their vehicle’s performance and durability, and thus make it more cost-effective.
