President Prabowo Subianto convened the Red and White Cabinet at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, emphasizing the need for efficient management of natural resources, with a particular focus on the mineral and coal sectors, to enhance national revenue.
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, indicated that in the meeting, the President emphasized the need for national natural resource management to prioritize the state's interests, specifically to enhance state revenue effectively.
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"How can we mediate so that natural resource management is truly oriented toward improving state revenue, but also must be wise in dealing with entrepreneurs," Lahadalia said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday evening (Jan 28).
Lahadalia elucidated that the president requested that the management of natural resources also prioritize the sustainability of the corporate sector.
The president issued an instruction for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to develop suitable policies that serve the overarching national objectives.
The president stressed the significance of efficiently managing natural resources for the well-being of the population, as mandated by Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution.
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"Because the orientation of state management, as stipulated in Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, is to manage everything well to improve the welfare of our people. We need better state revenues for the people's welfare," Lahadalia said.
The government is engaging in ongoing research and dialogue to ensure that the management of national natural resources strikes a harmonious balance between the needs of the state, business entities, and the well-being of the community.
Earlier this month, Brian Yuliarto, the recently appointed Head of the Mineral Industry Agency, expressed that the agency has been assigned the responsibility of overseeing crucial strategic materials vital to the defense sector. Yuliarto, who also serves as the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, underscored the importance of these resources not only for safeguarding national sovereignty but also for enhancing economic prosperity.
The jurisdiction of the agency encompasses rare earth metals and radioactive minerals. Yuliarto highlighted that the Mineral Industry Agency will work in close coordination with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology to ensure the efficient management of these resources.
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The Mineral Industry Agency was formerly a division of the Directorate General of Minerals and Coal within the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM). The company is currently concentrating on refining important minerals like nickel, bauxite, copper, and rare earths to keep up with the increasing worldwide need for clean energy and advancements in battery technology.