Jakarta, July 14 (Antara) - State-owned oil company Pertamina is scheduled to launch new fuel type Pertalite, a Research Octane Number (RON) 90 fuel, next week or two monthS after its previous plan on May 2015.
Based on its latest plan, Pertamina will launch the distribution of Pertalite seven days after (D+7) the post-fasting month of Ramadan or Lebaran on Friday next week, or July 24.
"The exact date depends on the Lebaran day. If the Lebaran day falls next Friday this week, or on July 17, it means that the launch of the new fuel type will be on Friday next week or July 24, 2015," Pertamina President Director Dwi Sutjipto said after seeing off the departure of Eid travelers grouped in a Joint Homebound Trip program, in the Eastern Parking Lot of Senayan Sports Complex, on Sunday.
The launch of Pertalite next week is two months behind the initial schedule as Pertamina still needed to popularize the new type of fuel before distributing it to the people or putting it on the market.
Pertamina was actually ready to market Pertalita last May, but it later put it behind schedule despite its readiness.
Pertamina's Marketing Director Ahmad Bambang conveyed last month (April 26) his company's readiness to distribute Pertalite starting from May, 2015.
"We are around 90 percent ready," Bambang was quoted on Monday (April 27) by the Jakarta Post as saying.
Bambang revealed that Pertamina's readiness included activities to produce, introduce, launch, and distribute the new fuel product.
However, until May, Pertamina was still making the necessary preparations to launch Pertalite. In the initial phase of the launch, Pertalite is expected to be sold in big cities such as Jakarta, Semarang, and Surabaya.
The launch of Pertalite is expected to replace Premium gasoline, particularly in big cities, as Premium will later only be available in fuel refilling stations (SPBUs) for public transportation in the outskirts.
As a new type of fuel, consumers should be informed of it. "Many people are not yet well informed about Pertalite gasoline. They will be confused if it is launched in the market," economic observer Winata Wira of the Raja Ali Haji Maritime University, Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands, stated recently.
Wira remarked that fuel is a basic requirement, hence the government, through the state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, should adopt a sensitive approach while implementing a new fuel policy.
Since fuel is a very sensitive commodity, Pertamina should consider the psychological aspects related to the consumers before launching it in the market.
"Pertamina should make every effort to take effective steps to convince the consumers. It has to introduce what Pertalite is and its benefits such as its environmental friendliness and efficiency that will encourage consumers to use it," Wira explained.
According to President Director of Pertamina Dwi Sutjipto on Sunday (July 12), Pertamina has made the best preparations since then. It will be made available at 103 SPBUs in Jakarta and Surabaya (East Java).
"If all run smoothly and safely, we will expand the distribution of Pertalite to various cities. At the current stage, we still need to popularize in various related agencies so that it would not confuse the public," he noted.
In its efforts to eventually replace Premium having RON 88, Pertamina will provide Pertalite gasoline with a higher octane level, namely RON 90, yet it is still lower than the octane level in Pertamax, which is RON 92.
The price of Pertalite will be lower than Pertamax yet higher than RON 88 Premium. RON 90 Pertalite has a higher efficiency as compared to RON 88 Premium. With a 2-3 percent better efficiency and a price within the financial reach of consumers, the public will get a better quality fuel even though they are buying it at a relatively higher price as compared to Premium.
Economic observer Agus Tony Poputra of the Sam Ratulangi University of Manado, North Sulawesi, noted that the launch of Pertalite is acceptable as long as its quality is better.
"Consumers will accept it if its quality is better than that of Premium," remarked Poputra in Manado recently.
He affirmed that besides quality, subsidy is also an important factor. "I think Pertalite should be subsidized because its price will be far higher than that of Premium," Poputra stated.
After all, Premium or RON 88 fuel is no longer produced by exporter countries as they now produce RON 90. So, Pertamina has to spend additional money to convert RON 90 to Premium or RON 88. RON 90 is admittedly better than Premium.
Though Premium is no longer produced by exporter countries, Pertalite will not automatically replace Premium, which is used by most consumers now.
"The people still misunderstand it as though Pertalite will directly replace Premium," Hardiyanto Tato of Pertamina in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara remarked.
Pertamina President Director Dwi Sutjipto explained that the launch of the new type of fuel is not an effort to replace Premium. "We will remain to distribute Premium. We will prepare stock no matter how much of the need. Thus, Premium will remain in the market based on the needed quota," he noted.
He said that if consumers did not want to buy Pertamax, they could buy Premium, "Pertalite is also made available," Dwi Sutjipto stressed.
He said that the three types of fuels have their own characteristics based on the need of consumer's vehicles. ***3***(T.A014/H-YH)
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A/Yosep) 14-07-2015 00:10:4 |
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