Pertamina canceled the price increase for Premium gasoline (BBM) on October 10, 2018. After rising to Rp 7,000/liter, the price of Premium returned to its previous price of Rp 6,550/liter. Lack of coordination between relevant agencies drew public attention to the cancellation of the price increase for this 88-octane fuel.
So, how much Premium gasoline did Pertamina actually distribute? In 2017, Premium distribution reached 12.3 million kiloliters (kl), projected to decrease by 14.6% to 10.5 million kl in 2018. Realization from January to July reached 5.8 million kl, or 55.8% of this year's target.
Distribution of this 88-octane fuel has shown a downward trend from 2015 to 2018, as seen in the graph below. This decrease has been offset by an increase in the distribution of Perta Series fuels with higher octane ratings, namely Pertalite (90 octane), Pertamax (92 octane), and Pertamax Turbo (95 octane).
(Read Databoks: Comparison of Fuel Prices According to Octane Rating)