Bahlil Says There Is A Company That Wants To Dredge 40 Percent Of Indonesian Nickel Production

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia (Photo: Doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia revealed that there was one nickel company that asked to dredge 40 percent of total national production.

"There is one RKAB company (Business Plan and Budget) asking for up to 30 to 40 percent of the total RKAB," Bahlil said in his remarks at the Minerba Expo, Monday, November 25.

In fact, he said, until now Indonesia's total production has reached 150 million tons. Bahlil assessed that the company's decision to extract 40 percent of national production was not a wise mistake.

"So there must be equity, there must be equity so that what? There is a joint contribution," continued Bahlil.

Furthermore, Bahlil said, based on data from the United States Geological Agency, the total world nickel reserves in Indonesia reached 25 percent of the world's total nickel reserves. This data was later revised by the US Geological Agency which stated that the total world nickel reserves in Indonesia had increased significantly by 42 percent.

"The total world nickel reserves in Indonesia are 42 percent. So indeed, this is a very extraordinary form of our reserves," he explained.

Meanwhile, in terms of Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP), in 2014, the mineral and coal (minerba) sector only contributed Rp29 trillion. According to him, at that time, PNBP from the mineral sector had not yet been looked at as the main source of state revenue. However, at this time, PNBP from the mineral sector contributed at least 10 to 11 percent of state revenues by generating at least Rp170 trillion.

"The accumulation of PNBP from ESDM to ngura income is more than Rp. 300 trillion, including the upstream oil and gas sector," he said.