Erick Thohir Reports From The US: This Trip Focuses On Energy, Health And Investment Cooperation

Minister of SOEs, Erick Thohir. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of SOEs)

JAKARTA - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE), Erick Thohir is on a working visit in the United States (U.S.) to explore cooperation in the fields of energy, health, and investment. This cooperation is part of the government's efforts to encourage SOEs to go global.

In the energy sector, Erick witnessed the signing of an agreement between PT Pertamina (Persero), PT Bukit Asam Tbk, Air Products & Chemical Inc (Air Products) in a national strategic project of coal gasification.

Erick also explored cooperation between Pertamina and ExxonMobil in the fields of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) aimed at reducing carbon emissions and as part of Enhance Oil and Gas Recovery efforts in Pertamina's wells to increase the country's oil and gas production.

"Of course we from the Ministry of SOEs as part of the BUMN Go Global program, continue to establish and strengthen trade relations between Indonesia and the United States, through strategic cooperation with Indonesian SOEs. This work trip is focused on three areas, namely energy, investment, and health," he said in a press statement on Tuesday, May 11.

The cooperation with Air Products and ExxonMobil is in line with President Joko Widodo's directive to reduce dependence on imported products, as well as transformation into the green economy as well as new and renewable energy.

"Gasification cooperation can save foreign exchange reserves up to Rp9.7 trillion per year and absorb 10 thousand workers. While with ExxonMobil there is the potential for cooperation for the development of research and oil and gas technology for the upstream, downstream, renewable energy and other potentials," he said.

Then, in the field of health, the Ministry of SOEs focused on collaboration between the Holding of STATE-OWNED Hospitals, Indonesia Healthcare Corporation (IHC) with a number of leading health institutions in the United States.

These include the City of Hope National Medical Center's cancer care center, the University of South Carolina (USC) School of Gerontology's elderly community health and wellness treatment center, as well as the Mayo Clinic's clinical, research and education practice center.

"We want to build and strengthen the health system in Indonesia, also invest in Sanur, Bali, which will be developed as a Special Economic Zone (KEK) Health Tourism," he said.

In the field of investment, Erick also held meetings with several private equities based in California, United States to attract investment to Indonesia through the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA) Sovereign Wealth Fund.

"We focus on strategic investment in infrastructure programs, this is welcomed by the potential investors we meet. This pandemic awakens Indonesia from its sleep, our main capital is a large market and abundant natural resources, but not enough. We need to build a conducive investment climate to boost and revive the economy," he said.