President Jokowi Hopes Buton To Become An Aspal Resulting Area: There Is A Potential 662 Million Tons Here, Gede Once

The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. (Photo: Doc. Setkab)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) hopes that Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi will become an asphalt-producing area, not a mining industry that has no added value. "We hope that (Buton Regency) will revive as an asphalt-producing industry, not a mine," said the President during a working visit to visit the PT Wika Bitumen Aspal Factory in Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, September 28. According to the President, Buton has great potential with a wealth of up to 662 million tons of asphalt. However, Indonesia imports up to five million tons of asphalt per year. "There is a potential of 662 million tons here, it's very big. So if we import 5 million tons a year, I think we can process the asphalt here for 120 years," said the President. Therefore, the President ordered the ministers to review efforts to develop the asphalt industry in Buton. He wants the downstreaming of asphalt so that the products produced have added value. "Yesterday I spoke with the minister, today we are looking at the field, through a study, and we hope that there will be an industrial material room here, there will be downstreaming here. Don't just take the material so there are no added value, no, stop," said Jokowi. Jokowi also emphasized that there will be no more asphalt imports in the next two years. The President also invited SOEs, the private sector, and even foreigners to join the development of the Buton asphalt industry. "Earlier, we have decided that in two years there will be no import of asphalt. Everything must be done by Buton," said Jokowi. According to him, downstreaming of the asphalt industry in Buton will also increase state revenues, including through tax revenues. "The added value is here, taxes are here, royalties are here, dividends are here, employee taxes are all here," said the President. Previously, Deputy Chairman of the Southeast Sulawesi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Laode Rahmat Apiti, considered the visit of the Head of State as a form of attention to this area, including for Buton asphalt. He hopes that President Joko Widodo can issue a Presidential Decree (Keppres) for the use of Buton asphalt in infrastructure development in the country.