The Government Simplifies 3 Rules On Waste For Electrification

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government will merge three Presidential Regulations (Perpres) into one regulation related to waste management so that it can be used as a source of electrical energy for national needs.

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan stated that the regulation was intended to cut licensing procedures in waste management so that it could be converted into electrical energy.

"So brothers and sisters, so that the complicated procedure is trimmed into short. It is hoped that in these 5 years we can finish in 30 provinces. Because our waste has been mounting," said Zulhas as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, March 7.

The regulation in question is Presidential Decree No. 97 of 2017 concerning national policies and strategies for managing household waste and household waste, Presidential Decree No. 35 of 2018 concerning accelerating the construction of waste processing installations into electrical energy based on environmentally friendly technology, as well as Presidential Decree No. 83 of 2018 concerning handling waste at sea.

Zulhas said the simplification was the same as the distribution process for subsidized fertilizers.

From the waste management regulations for electrification which initially required licensing from the local government and several related ministries, with this cut later PLN, which is a buyer of conversion results, only requires permission from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

"Because PLN will buy the proceeds, it's already the one who gave permission from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Permission from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources goes directly to PLN, it's over. It's just a matter of what the Regional Government's obligations will be," he said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (Ditjen EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Eniya Listiani Dewi, stated that of the total waste projections in Indonesia, which amounted to 1.7 billion tons, electricity could be converted to 2-3 gigawatts (GW).

"This is estimated to be up to 2-3 GW with a total of that kind of garbage," he also said.