"The public does not need to doubt the quality of the fuel sold by Pertamina because we are committed to maintaining the quality of the fuel production," Bahlil remarked here on Thursday (March 13).
The minister stated that the recent alleged corruption in oil and fuel purchases by Pertamina is a wake-up call for the ministry, which is responsible for quality testing.
“We, particularly the Oil and Gas Testing Center (Lemigas), are responsible for quality testing, and we promise to tighten the process so the public can ease their doubts,” he noted.
Bahlil further emphasized that the government will continue to closely monitor Pertamina’s oil distribution process from upstream to downstream to ensure the quality of its fuel products.
"We will supervise imported ships containing processed oil. In addition, the government will also supervise crude oil entering the refinery to carry out the blending process,” he remarked.
“We will also go down to check the quality (of fuel products) before being distributed to consumers,” he added.
“This is part of the government’s commitment in guaranteeing the quality of (Pertamina’s) fuel products that will be sold to the public,” Bahlil concluded.
Investigators from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) have initiated a probe into the state oil and gas giant for alleged corruption involving high-ranking officers of its subsidiaries and cooperation contract contractors between 2018 and 2023.
The AGO has named nine individuals as suspects in the case, including the president director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Riva Siahaan; president director of PT Pertamina International Shipping, Yoki Firmandi; and feedstock and product optimization director of PT Kilang Pertamina International, Sani Saifuddin.
Following the announcement, prosecutors began searching for evidence and questioning witnesses, including technical officers at Pertamina.
While issuing an apology to the public for the concerns the case caused, Pertamina revealed a plan to establish an internal evaluation team.
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Translator: Desi Purnama Sari, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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