The European Union Lawsuit On Nickel At The WTO, Minister Of Investment: President Jokowi's Order Is Clear, Opponent!

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Investment Minister/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Bahlil Lahadalia, emphasized that Indonesia will fight the European Union's lawsuit at the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding nickel.

Bahlil said this was in accordance with the direction of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Where President Jokowi emphasized that Indonesia is not a nation that can be attacked.

The president's order is clear every thing we have decided regarding the sovereignty of our nation, when they bring it to the WTO we face, we will fight. Because our country is already independent, it cannot be intervened by other countries. Moreover, entrepreneurs regulate the country," he said in a working meeting with Commission VI of the DPR, Monday, February 6.

Bahlil said that Indonesia's way of fighting the European Union by dealing with it through the WTO and the government would also lobby.

Bahlil said, Indonesia already had the experience of winning when WTO sawit.

However, Bahlil acknowledged that Indonesia needs to improve the quality of Human Resources (HR) which is trusted to negotiate. This is because the negotiators sent are not confident enough to fight back.

"We sometimes lack confidence, to be honest, there really has to be a brain, there's a little crazy. Why? What we are fighting is actually sorry, this is a kind of new style of colonialism," he said.

According to Bahlil, even if Indonesia loses the lawsuit, there are other ways that can be done.

For example, said Bahlil, moving ports to Eastern Indonesia, in this case Papua.

"We appeal, if we lose there is another way. This is my personal thought, my crazy brain says that if we lose again, okay, we make our exports increase taxes, but we make ports in Papua. So that the logistics boarding house increases, so that once he exports, the value will definitely be higher so that people are males exports," he said.

Bahlil emphasized that moving ports to Eastern Indonesia was just a personal thought.

However, he emphasized, actually there are many ways for Indonesia to win the European Union's lawsuit about nickel.

"If we make it in Papua in the mountains there, what is the WTO business with us, the people of our country. But this is my personal thought, this has not been (defined). This is not necessarily acceptable by the President, this is my personal thought. So there are many ways. That's why I say that there are many ways to Rome, "he explained.

For your information, President Jokowi decided to issue a policy to stop the export of nickel ore to the European Union from 2020 until now.

However, the policy to ban nickel ore exports has received strong protests from the European Union by suing Indonesia through the world trade organization or WTO in early 2021.

In December 2022, Indonesia has notified the Dispute Settlement Agency regarding the decision to appeal the panel's report in a case by the European Union in the Indonesia-Actions Regarding Baku Materials' after violating international trade rules by the WTO in November 2022.