Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia is pursuing investment in the sugar commodity sector. He also held an inaugural meeting on Tuesday (30/4) at the office of the Ministry of Investment/BKPM, Jakarta, with Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir, Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Airlangga Hartarto and Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian.
“Currently we are still importing sugar. Then it was decided to consolidate the acceleration of sugar self-sufficiency by facilitating investment in sugar commodities,” said Bahlil in an official statement, Friday (3/5).
In accordance with Presidential Decree (Keppres) Number 15 of 2024 which was stipulated on April 19 2024, Bahlil was appointed as Chair of the Task Force (Satgas) for the Acceleration of Sugar and Bioethanol Self-Sufficiency in Merauke Regency, South Papua. The task force was formed to accelerate the facilitation of investment in sugar cane commodities that are integrated with the sugar, bioethanol and biomass power generation industries in Merauke.
Bahlil explained that there are four regional clusters with a total of more than two million hectares (ha) of land that will be transformed into bioethanol integrated sugar self-sufficiency development areas.
Clusters 1 and 2 with a land area of 1 million ha in Merauke will be converted into sugar cane plantations. Then, clusters 3 and 4 with land areas of 504,373 ha and 400,000 ha are also ready to be used for sugar cane plantations.
“The total investment plan for cluster 3 private integrated sugar plantations is estimated at US$5.62 billion or the equivalent of Rp. 83.27 trillion,” explained Bahlil.
Also read: Regarding Bahlil’s alleged corruption, KPK: We will find out the truth
He revealed that the policy would be a large investment so that investors who entered must have real credibility. He also added that every investor who wants to take part in this project is required to fulfill customary rights.
“Later, the garden will be technological, using machines. Then the factory is also on a large scale. In the future, investment will involve regional people. Don’t let the investors grow but the people die. No way! “We want to be fair,” stressed Bahlil.
He then revealed that the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) had tested sugarcane seeds imported directly from Australia. It is hoped that these seeds will be able to become superior seeds that can produce quality sugar cane plants. The results of the investment in self-sufficiency in sugar and bioethanol are expected to be visible in 2027. (Z-11)
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