Bahlil Wants To Invest In The Sugar-Bioethenol Industry To Include In The Community

Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia (Photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - Investment Minister/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia wants investment in the sugar and bioethenol industry in Merauke Regency, South Papua to involve the local community. It aims to make investments that enter a region, not only increase the country's foreign exchange, but also have a positive impact on the welfare of local communities. "I say that we may invest there, but we must ensure regional rights. We pay attention to regional rights, the release of customary land, we pay attention to it, and there must be local people who participate in the business," Bahlil said, quoting Antara. He explained that the institution he leads has prepared a partnership scheme between investors and the local community with the term 'inti-plasma' Investors, in this case as a core, has the task to assist local communities who are plasma in developing the plantations they manage. The support can be in the form of financing, technology assistance, and various other development, so that the community gets the harvest that will be processed by investors. He considered, the scheme will provide a positive impact on the continuity (multiplier effect), so that it can improve the country's economy. National interests are realized, food resilience. The investment is growing, can be profitable. But local and regional communities also get a share. It should not be neglected. This is one unit,' he also said.

Earlier on Friday (19/4), President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) signed Presidential Decree (Keppres) Number 15 of 2024 concerning the Task Force for the Acceleration of Sugar and Bioethenol Self-Sufficiency in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province. The formation of the task force is to accelerate the implementation of integrated plantation investment activities with the sugar, bioethenol, and biomass power plants in the region. Through this presidential decree, the government will develop an integrated sugarcane plantation with a sugar and bioethenol industry covering an area of 2 million hectares in Merauke Regency which is divided into four clusters.