Jokowi Asks To Increase Indonesian Oil Lifting: Only One Liter Must Increase

President Jokowi and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia on the Peak Night of the 79th Anniversary of Mining and Energy. (Photo: Maria Trisnawati/VOI)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) gave a message to continue to improve the lifting of Indonesian oil. This was conveyed by Jokowi in his remarks on the Peak Night of the 79th Anniversary of Mining and Energy organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Thursday, October 10.

Jokowi emphasized that the increase in Indonesian crude oil lifting must be made at all costs.

"I entrust the lifting to be good in any way, it must go up," he said, Thursday, October 10.

To increase the lifting achievement, Jokowi asked KKKS and stakeholders to re-investigate drilling and reactivate idle wells.

The reason, he said, was that when lifting decreased, the budget issued by the state would increase.

"I just received the Minister of Finance (Sri Mulyani) this afternoon asking that lifting not be allowed," Jokowi continued.

Jokowi gave an example, when oil lifting decreased by only 100 barrels, the budget spent on importing currencies would be higher.

"We count down a bit, but if it is calculated into money it means that hundreds of trillions of oil imports come out. Foreign exchange is lost," he continued.

Jokowi also urged that the increase in lifting can be worked on by either the business itself, cooperating with SOEs and cooperating with foreign parties.

"Don't let the lifting go down. Just one liter must go up," said Jokowi.

On the same occasion, Jokowi also requested that regulations that often burden investors to be cut down be simpler so that the increase in oil lifting can be achieved.

"It must be implemented so that investment comes to our country," said Jokowi.