Government Encourages Conversion Of Lisric Vehicles, Former Minister Of Energy And Mineral Resources Says This

Darwin Zahedy Saleh. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Former ESDM Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh opened his voice regarding the current government's move to push for subsidies for electric vehicles.

Darwin said the government should first encourage an increase in new and renewable energy mixes before encouraging people to use electric vehicles.

The reason is, electric vehicles that are currently being used still have to be charged with electricity, the majority of which comes from fossil energy.

"We know that the majority of coal and fossils are still 80 percent. Therefore, the prerequisites must be to accelerate the composition of renewable energy in producing electricity because it is still coal and fuel," Darwin said as quoted on Thursday, February 15.

He said the government was accelerating the use of new renewable energy electricity (EBT) sourced from the Solar Power Plant (PLTS), which is currently being promoted by the government.

According to him, the use of PLTS is believed to increase the portion of electricity composites produced from EBT.

"If it is not used as a focus, then we are not serious in thinking about or conceptualizing the road to subsidies in the APBN as a whole," continued Darwin.

According to him, this is a new approach so that the government cannot blame people who still doubt the conversion approach of electric vehicles and consider this an industrial policy phase rather than towards a green economy or the restructuring of the state budget.

Darwin said this policy actually sacrificed other sectors such as public transportation.

"Which sector was finally claimed because we converted electric vehicles too quickly? It is certain that the public transportation sector," concluded Darwin.