Jakarta: President Joko Widodo, also called Jokowi, chose Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to lead the Task Force for Speeding Up Sugar and Bioethanol Self-Sufficiency, reported Temp.co.
Bahlil’s job is to encourage investments in sugarcane-related industries like sugar, bioethanol, and biomass power plants in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province.
Bahlil explained plans for four areas covering over 2 million hectares to make bioethanol-integrated sugar production self-sufficient. Cluster 1 and 2 are each about 1 million hectares, while Cluster 3 covers 504,373 hectares and Cluster 4 is around 400,000 hectares.
He said that around US$5.62 billion or Rp83.27 trillion is needed for private sugarcane plantations in cluster 3.
Bahlil mentioned that the Indonesian Quarantine Agency tested sugarcane seeds from Australia. He hopes these seeds will grow into strong sugarcane plants. The goal is to finish the sugar and bioethanol self-sufficiency investment project by 2027.
Bahlil stressed the importance of having trustworthy investors because a lot of money is involved. He asked investors to treat the local indigenous people fairly. He said that growth shouldn’t harm the local communities.
“We want investors to do well, and we want the country, regions, and people to benefit,” Bahlil concluded.
