Indonesia Has Great Power in Coal, CPO, Nickel: President Jokowi

TheIndonesia.id - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said five heads of government had called him asking Indonesia to reopen coal exports in January 2022. The same call also happened when Indonesia blocked crude palm oil export and nickel.

"When we stopped coal (export) in January, there were 5 presidents (and) prime ministers called me, (saying) 'President Jokowi, please send the coal as soon as possible, as soon as we can, otherwise we die. Our electricity goes out, our industry dies'," said President Jokowi, at the Party School of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle Central Leadership Council (DPP), Lenteng Agung, Jakarta, Tuesday, June 21, 2022.

President Jokowi conveyed this at the opening of the PDIP II 2021 National Working Meeting (Rakernas).

The Indonesian government has banned coal exports from January 1 to January 31, 2022. This policy has drawn protests from a number of importing countries, at least from Japan and South Korea.

"We know where our strength lies. When we stopped exporting cooking oil for domestic needs first, coal also for domestic needs first, there were two presidents and prime ministers who called me too, 'Sir, if you are in two days, don't send (cooking oil), it will cause socio-political turmoil in my country. Please send it'," said the President.

President Jokowi also banned the export of crude palm oil (CPO) and a number of its derivative products from April 28 to May 24, 2022. "I checked, there is a stock of about 3 million tons, then the request is 200 thousand tons. Yes, it can be sent," said the President.

By looking at the reactions of the heads of government, Jokowi said that Indonesia has great power in the fields of coal, CPO, nickel, and other natural resources. "But we can't continue the export of raw materials, that's a stop. We have to start stopping exporting raw materials and then we make finished goods. There is industrialization, downstreaming there, that's actually our great strength, so that added value is in the country, there are job opportunities in the country," said the President.

Not to mention additional income from income taxes, value-added taxes, export duties, export duties, and others. "That's what I often calculate and is also calculated by international institutions that if we can open the entry gate to 'per capita income' of more than 11 thousand US dollars. Hopefully, we can get there by 2030, meaning that the gate can already be reached," said the President.

President Jokowi also said that to achieve an increase in per capita income, infrastructure readiness, human resource development, and the downstreaming of domestic industries are needed. "The direction must go that way forward and we now have that capability. We have tried to stop nickel, this year we will stop bauxite. Everything is produced domestically and our calculations are in 2045 if there is consistency in leadership with the courage to stop raw goods export, God willing, we will be at 21 thousand - 27 thousand US dollars in our income per capita. We are indeed in the position of a developed country, but the challenge is once again not easy, especially human resource development," the President said.

The 2021 PDIP National Working Meeting is held at the Party School of the Central Leadership Council (DPP) Lenteng Agung, Jakarta on 21-23 June 2022. The National Working Meeting is held in the context of PDIP's internal consolidation, especially for the 2024 General Election.

The opening of the National Working Meeting was also attended by Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna H Laoly, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif, Deputy Minister Domestic Affairs John Wempi Wetipo, Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan, and Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo.