Bahlil ensures that the moratorium on the export of bauxite and copper concentrate continues.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia. (Photo: Maria/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia ensures that the government will maintain the policy of prohibiting the export of raw mineral commodities. Bahlil said this is the government's strategy in carrying out downstream processing for increased added value.

For information, the government has successfully implemented a ban on nickel ore exports and will maintain a ban on bauxite ore and copper concentrate exports.

"For the future, there are several commodities that we must maintain the prohibition on them, including bauxite, then copper," Bahlil told the media, quoted on Saturday, August 8.

The Chairman of the Golkar Party said that downstreaming is the main strategy of the government to increase the added value of Indonesia's natural resources.

By processing minerals in the country, he continued, the government hopes to create jobs while encouraging economic growth.

"In order to carry out economic transformation, we really have no other way, there must be domestic industries. And domestic industries create added value, create jobs and economic growth," said Bahlil.

Furthermore, Bahlil said, after the ban on the export of nickel ore, bauxite and copper concentrate, the government began to take steps to carry out the downstream processing of rare earth metals (LTJ) or rare earths.

The process of refining LTJ will involve PT Perusahaan Mineral Nasional (Perminas), a new SOE under the Danantara Investment Management Agency (BPI).

"Rare earth metals are designed again, even some have been done by Perminas," said Bahlil.