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Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Former Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla (JK) also recently highlighted the use of natural resources in Indonesia. Especially nickel, which is considered to be controlled by a certain country, namely China.

The head of Perhapi’s strategic mining studies division, Muhammad Toha, considers the terminology of the word “controlled” by China as something negative. In fact, in the company’s 30 years of operating nickel mining and processing plants in Indonesia, only two smelters have been built.

“Before 2015, there were two nickel processing plants in Indonesia, owned by PT Vale Indonesia in Sorowako, where the investors were Canadian companies and the second was PT Antam Tbk,” he said during the Mining Zone event from CNBC Indonesia, cited Tuesday (5/12). /2023).

Then, after the government opened investment to global investors to boost the downstream nickel program, many Chinese investors apparently became interested in building smelter projects in Indonesia. Plus, they come with advanced technology.

“It is an undeniable fact and from 2017 to 2022, investments in the nickel sector in nickel processing plants and mines amounted to almost $17 billion, of which almost 90% came from investments foreigners,” Toha said.

Toha pointed out that at that time the government also opened the same opportunities to all foreign investors. However, again, Chinese companies are more interested than other countries in building foundries in Indonesia.

“The facts are like that. So I don’t entirely agree with the connotation that this would be controlled in a negative sense, because basically the government provides the same opportunities to all investors,” he said .

Previously, JK criticized Indonesia’s inferior attitude in managing national natural resources. In fact, Indonesia should be able to take a confident attitude and strive to master technology.

“Why do we still not have confidence, we talk about a lot of things, we talk about nickel, 90% of nickel is controlled by China because they still think that the technology is them. We still have low self-esteem, like we can’t.” master technology,” he said in FISIP Economix UI, cited Tuesday (11/28/23).

According to JK, Indonesia itself is expected to operate 116 smelters over the next few years. Thus, Indonesia should also be able to master the smelter operating technology.

“This company proves that anything can be done with technology and we can control this technology, smelters, whatever, we can control any type of electricity,” JK said.

(pgr/pgr)