Based on data at the state owned oil and gas company sales of its premium gasoline and kerosene also declined.
A significant increase, however, was recorded in its sales of Pertamax gasoline, which has a high content of octane.
Its sales of Premium gasoline, which has lower content of octane in the January-March period of 2015 totaled 6.75 million kiloliters or down 4.9 percent year-on-year.
Its sales of kerosene fell 22.5 percent from 249,000 kiloliters in the first quarter of 2014 to 193,000 kiloliters in the first three months of 2015.
Its sales of Pertamax surged 232 percent from 164,000 kiloliters in the January-March period of 2014 to 545,000 kiloliters in the same period in 2015.
Pertamina Marketing Director Ahmad Bambang attributed the decline in oil fuel consumption to delay in the disbursement of state budget and efficiency including ban on holding official meetings at hotels.
Earlier, Its Vice President for Marketing M Iskandar said consumption of Premium gasoline and diesel oil dropped 7,000 kiloliters each per day from the normal level before the impact of global economic slowdown hit the country.
In 2014, consumption of premium gasoline reached 29.63 million kiloliters or 81,000 kiloliters per day down to 74,000 kiloliters per day at present.
Consumption of diesel oil fell from 16.24 million kiloliters or 44,000 kiloliters per day in 2014 to 37,000 kiloliters per day at present.
Meanwhile sales of Pertamax surged from 2,200 to 7,000 kiloliters per day, Iskandar said.
Iskandar attributed the surge in Pertamax consumption to the fact that the prices of Premium and Pertamax were almost the same after abolition of subsidy on Premiums gasoline by the government.
Iskandar predicted that sales of Pertamax would reach 2 million kiloliters in 2015 , up from less than 1 million kiloliters, in 2014.
Currently, Pertamina sells Pertamax at fuel filling stations at a price of Rp8,600 per liter or Rp1,200 more expensive than Premium price of Rp7,400 per liter.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
