Successful Nickel Downstream, Jokowi Aims For IDR 440 Trillion Revenue

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that the downstreaming and industrialization of natural resources must continue.

One of them is nickel downstream which has been running successfully and smoothly. Therefore, he targets revenues from this sector to reach Rp440 trillion.

Furthermore, Jokowi said downstream nickel has increased steel exports 18 times.

In 2014, the value was only around IDR 16 trillion, but in 2021 it will increase to IDR 306 trillion.

“Because it has been exported in the form of finished and semi-finished goods. And by the end of 2022, we hope to reach Rp440 trillion. It's just nickel. Once again, it's only nickel,” he said at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Annual Session, Joint Session of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI)-Regional Representative Council (DPD RI), Tuesday, August 16.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta also said that now Indonesia has become a key producer in the global lithium battery supply chain.

Electric car manufacturers from Asia, Europe, and America are investing in the country.

“After nickel, the government will also encourage downstream bauxite, copper and tin downstreaming. We must build an integrated domestic industrial ecosystem, which will support the development of the world's green economy ecosystem," he said.

Second, Jokowi continued, apart from downstreaming, optimization of clean energy sources and a green economy must continue to be improved.

Nursery and rehabilitation of tropical forests and mangrove forests, as well as rehabilitation of marine habitats, will continue to be carried out, and will become a large potential carbon sink.

Jokowi assesses that clean energy from solar heat, geothermal, wind, ocean waves, and bio-energy will attract industries that produce low-emission products.

The green industrial area in North Kalimantan will be the largest Green Industrial Park in the world.

“I am optimistic that we will become a producer of green products that are competitive in international trade. These efforts can be directly synergized with programs to increase food production and bio-energy,” he said.

The wise use of marine biodiversity, said Jokowi, would be a great force for food, pharmaceutical, and energy products.

"Similarly, our plantations, including palm oil, have proven to be the world's largest supplier of crude palm oil (CPO)," he added.