Government Asked To Immediately Arrange Bioethenol Roadmap

Packaging prototype bioethenol fuel uses materials from sorghum. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The government is asked to immediately compile a bioethenol roadmap as a clearer and more structured vegetable fuel (BBN).

Energy observer at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Tumaniran said, bioethenol has been designated as one of the national strategic projects (PSN).

"The structured ROadmap (bioetanol) is very urgent. If it is not made immediately, it is feared that it will have a bad impact on the development of bioethenol itself," said ANTARA, Thursday, February 13.

According to the former member of the National Energy Council (DEN), the roadmap for bioethenol development must be clear and structured in terms of production, for example, how many million tons are targeted.

From this target, the raw materials are mapped again, for example sugar cane, corn, cassava, and so on, business actors, the price.

The absence of road maps, he added, could have an impact on the balance between production and absorption of bioethenol itself.

In addition, Tumiran also reminded, the importance of price regulation, among others, the government must eliminate taxes for bioethenol for BBN because bioethenol for energy sources cannot be equated with for liquor.

"It must also be mapped first by the government. Including what the obstacles are and also what the scenario is," he said.

Meanwhile, Pasundan University economic researcher Bandung Acuviarta Kartabi emphasized that the roadmap is a tool to clarify the stages of a large project such as PSN, including the development of bioethenol, especially since this project is multi-sectoral.

According to him, the roadmap for bioethanol development is very important because these activities cannot only be charged with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) but there are also other ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and so on.

"The ministries must share roles for the development of bioethenol," he said.

According to him, starting from strategies, policies, programs to the implementation of activities that will be carried out, it becomes clear with a roadmap so that the direction of development does not run away, besides that, there is a clear deadline so that the bioethenol program can be easily monitored and evaluated.

Without a structured roadmap, he continued, making the parties involved in the program run separately because their roles and functions became unclear in the upstream and downstream parts.