Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) cannot hide his annoyance knowing the fact that Indonesia is still addicted to imports of canister gas, aka Liquefied Petroleum gas (LPG).
This was stated by Jokowi when witnessing the release of the first export of Smelter Grade Alumina (SGA) in the Galang Batang Special Economic Zone (KEK), Bintan, Riau Islands.
“We have raw materials a lot very, guede very. We even import Rp 80 trillion of LPG every year,” said Jokowi, Tuesday (1/25/2022).
Jokowi then mentioned the coal gasification project into Dimethryl Ether (DME) as an effort to reduce dependence on LPG imports.
The first DME project in Indonesia which was inaugurated in Tanjung Enim itself is estimated to be able to produce 1.4 million DME per year to reduce LPG imports by 1 million tons per year and save LPG subsidies of IDR 7 trillion.
“We export coal, raw, raw, raw, raw. Even though the name of the coal can be methanol, DME,” he said.
Jokowi admitted that he was angry because so far the results of Indonesia’s natural wealth have never been properly optimized, and instead other countries have benefited.
“It’s too comfortable for us. It’s too good. Other people can, other countries can, he gets added value, he gets jobs, he gets taxes,” he said in a rising voice.
“Try if we create an industry like this. We get royalties, we get corporate taxes, we get personal taxes, exports to foreign countries, we get PNBP, we all get it,” said Jokowi.
(Cha Cha dance)
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