Prabowo to Regional Heads: We Hope Papua Will Plant Palm Oil So That It Can Produce Fuel

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the government is committed to realizing national energy self-sufficiency to reduce dependence on imported fuel oil (BBM), and has the potential to save hundreds of trillion rupiah every year from the subsidy budget.

In his instructions to the heads of regional governments throughout Papua and the KEPP OKP at the State Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday, he said, Indonesia's fuel imports currently reach Rp520 trillion per year. If the dependence on imports can be reduced by half, the country has the potential to save Rp250 trillion.

"This year, every year we spend hundreds of trillions for imported fuel. If we can plant oil palm, plant cassava, plant sugar cane, use solar energy and hydropower, imagine how many hundreds of trillions we can save every year," he said.

He stated that the government had begun taking concrete steps by targeting to no longer import solar in 2026.

Furthermore, the government also targets Indonesia to no longer import gasoline. According to the President, this is very capable of being realized given that Indonesia has the potential for renewable new energy sources (EBT) in various regions, including Papua.

He said the government had prepared a policy so that energy-producing areas could enjoy the benefits of energy produced in their own region.

The development of EBT is said to be the main key, especially in solar energy and hydropower.

"Later, in difficult areas, we have to use solar energy or water energy. Solar energy technology is now getting cheaper, and this can be used to reach remote areas, as well as hydropower. There are mini-hydro, which can also be used in remote areas," he said.

In addition to EBT, he also encouraged the use of bioenergy-based energy through the development of oil palm, sugar cane, and cassava as raw materials for biodiesel and bioethanol.

According to him, this step can reduce the need for fuel imports while strengthening regional energy independence.

"This is all so that there is independence in each region. If there is solar energy and water energy, there is no need to send expensive fuel from regions and also we hope that in Papua regions, oil palm must also be planted so that it can also produce fuel from oil palm, also sugar cane produces ethanol," he added.