Jakarta: In an effort to combat air pollution in the major cities of Indonesia, including Jakarta, the country has been planning to upgrade the quality of its subsidized and highly polluting fuels; the sale of these fuels would be cut in order to improve the air quality across the nation, as per the report by officials.
Being the largest Southeast Asia’s economy, the government is set to order Pertamina (a state energy firm) to lessen the sulphur content of these fuels and also keep their sale within the limit stated by a minister overseeing the transport sector.
He went on to say that the company will provide a QR code for all the buyers so that they can track fuel purchases. Overall, 4 million vehicles have been assigned a QR code this month, as per the company. Pertamina has said it would provide a QR code for each buyer to track fuel purchases. Earlier this month, 4 million vehicles had been assigned a QR code, the company said.
This system will ensure that subsidized fuels are distributed more efficiently and reach the intended beneficiaries, such as motorbikes, public transportation vehicles, taxis, and ride-sharing cars. The government’s proposal for the 2025 budget has included a plan for energy subsidy reform. The proposal is currently being discussed in parliament, and an approval is expected later in September.
The Indonesian government has allocated 335 trillion rupiah for energy subsidies in 2024 and is planning to increase it to 394.3 trillion rupiah in the 2025 budget, which includes subsidies for electricity and cooking gas. These changes reveal the commitment of the Indonesian government towards reducing pollution.
