Indonesia to ban RON-88 and RON-89 gasoline sale next year

An attendant walks across a gas station belonging to state-owned energy holding company Pertamina in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Dec. 4, 2018. (Source: JP/Seto Wardhana)

Hanoi (VNA) - Indonesia will ban the sale of RON-88 and RON-89, its two most-polluting gasoline, taking effect from January 1 next year, according to a new resolution of the Indonesia Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Saleh Abdurrahman, a member of the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas), said that the ban aimed to encourage Indonesian citizens to use fuels with higher octane rating, which are eco-friendly.

The country previously planned to ban the sale of RON-88 and RON-90 gasoline, both of which are unqualified for Euro IV standards, to lower its carbon emissions and narrow the fiscal deficit.

However, the government then rescheduled the forecast plan, announcing that only RON-88 and RON-89 would be banned while the sale of RON-90 would continue indefinitely during the transition period.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry issued a compulsory regulation in 2017 that Indonesia had to use fuels with an octane rating of at least 91, to protect the environment and catch up with fuel standards in other countries./.

VNA