Coordinating Minister Zulhas: Mandatory Gasoline Mixed With Etanol 10 Percent Next Year

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan. (Mery Handayani / VOI)

TANGERANG - Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said the government would require the use of 10 percent ethanol or E10 for fuel oil (BBM) products next year.

"It is mandatory, but if we are ready, the President's order is like that," he said in Tangerang, Banten, Wednesday, October 15.

Zulhas, as Zulkifli Hasan is familiarly called, said that the mixing of ethanol on gasoline could later affect the selling value of cassava.

For your information, cassava is one of the raw materials for making ethanol. In addition to cassava, ethanol can also be produced from corn fermentation, or molasses (cane drop).

Furthermore, Zulhas estimates that the price of cassava can increase to Rp. 2,000 per kilogram (kg) due to the use of 10 percent ethanol for fuel mixtures.

The price of cassava set by the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) is IDR 1,350 per kg.

"If there is an industry for methanol or ethanol, then the price of cassava can be up to Rp2,000 kg," he said.

Therefore, continued Zulhas, the government is developing sugarcane and cassava commodities on a large scale. He said the program would drive the people's economy.

"So it means that the program, brothers and sisters, will move the people's economy, it's extraordinary. Because the raw materials are cassava, sugar cane, one more corn," he said.

"So it means that later throughout Indonesia there should be no unemployed land. Because everything will have economic value, that's where empowerment will be, our people will be creative. We will pursue China, the agriculture will pursue Thailand," he continued.