Prabowo Reprimands Cabinet, Orders Waste To Energy Program To Be Completed For 18 Months

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan when delivering a statement at the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, Monday (25/8/2025). (ANTARA/Fathur Rochman)

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto conveyed directions to the Coordinating Ministry for Food to immediately complete the entirewaste to Energy program no later than 18 months.

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan explained that this program aims to solve the problem of waste management that has stalled for the last 10 years.

"Earlier, the President reprimanded us, 18 months can be finished. We will try," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, August 24.

Zulhas explained that the project contract had been signed and was just waiting for the presidential regulation (Perpres) which was expected to fall in the next 1 day to 2 days.

Initially, said Zulhas, the administration was projected to take 6 months and a work period of 18 months, but the President pushed for acceleration so that the entire project could be completed faster than the initial target of two years.

Zulhas said this project previously involved many parties, including regents, governors, DPRD, ministries, and PLN.

To pursue the completion target, said Zulhas, the mechanism will be simplified: Danantara will immediately contract with PLN, while the project permit will be issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

According to Zulhas, the presidential regulation to be issued regulates the cutting of this long bureaucracy to accelerate project implementation.

In a limited meeting at the Merdeka Palace, June 2025, President Prabowo instructed the acceleration of waste management through upstream schemes such as TPS-3R and TPST, as well as downstream such as Waste to Energy (WTE) and Refuse-derived Fuel (RDF), by involving local governments in accordance with Law Number 18 of 2008.

Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated that the strategy had been prepared together, while Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian said 33 TPAs were the focus of converting waste into energy.

Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani said Danantara is ready to invest with the private sector in the WTE project, strengthening the collaboration between the government and the private sector to solve national waste problems.