Official says Jan-Mar deficit from fuel sales seen at 4 trln rupiah

Cogencis, Wednesday, Mar 22

  By Tito Summa

  JAKARTA - The government may record a deficit of 4.1 trln rupiah from

sales of diesel and RON 88 petrol at below market price in Jan-Mar, Director

General for Oil and Gas I. Gusti Nyoman Wiratmaja told Cogencis.

  The government reviews its fuel price policy every three months.

  Wiratmaja, however, refused to say whether the government will raise fuel

prices in April. Instead, he said the government recorded a surplus of 1.8

trln rupiah from distribution of diesel and RON 88 petrol in 2016.

  The government has not changed the price of diesel and RON 88 petrol

since April despite the increase in price of crude oil. The law stipulates

that the government is responsible for setting prices of diesel and RON 88

petrol for distribution outside Java, Bali and Madura.

  The largest deficit was from diesel distribution, amounting to 3.5 trln

rupiah during the three-month period, said Wiratmaja. Diesel is priced at

5,150 rupiah per ltr by the government.

  The deficit from distribution of RON 88 petrol outside Java, Bali and

Madura was 610 bln rupiah, said Wiratmaja. The price of RON 88 petrol outside

the three regions was 6,450 rupiah per ltr. 

End