JAKARTA — The government under the leadership of Prabowo Subianto emphasizes energy self-sufficiency as a key pillar of the nation’s transformation toward economic sovereignty and public welfare.
This agenda is positioned alongside food self-sufficiency as an absolute prerequisite for economic independence, with strengthening domestic energy production to reduce dependence on imports and promote equitable distribution of prosperity.
“Food and energy self-sufficiency are the main foundations of the national transformation strategy that I am offering and implementing now. We have extraordinary advantages,” said the Head of State.
“If we want independence, if we want prosperity, we must guarantee food and energy production so that all our people can enjoy them,” said the President.
This policy direction is translated into concrete strategies through optimizing national resources, increasing oil and gas lifting, and accelerating the development of new and renewable energy.
The government is also strengthening the B40 biodiesel policy and preparing a 10 percent bioethanol requirement by 2028 as an instrument to reduce fossil fuel imports and strengthen energy security.
Bahlil Lahadalia, the Executive Chairman of the National Energy Council and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, emphasized that national energy policy is now based on four main pillars.
“One of President Prabowo’s priority programs concerns energy sovereignty, energy security, energy independence, and ultimately energy self-sufficiency,” he said.
“One of the state’s instruments for realizing this is through the policy direction and roadmap developed in collaboration with the National Energy Council,” Bahlil said.
He explained that the government is promoting an energy transition through biofuels, solar power, and strengthening the national energy storage infrastructure.
From a governance perspective, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi assessed the role of the National Energy Council as crucial in accelerating cross-sector coordination.
“Hopefully, with the presence of the National Energy Council, we can further accelerate the preparation process for pursuing several priority programs toward energy self-sufficiency,” Prasetyo said.
Several economists and business actors believe that energy self-sufficiency can have a multiplier effect on the national economy.
These multiplier effects range from strengthening resilience to global turmoil, creating jobs, to encouraging downstreaming and sustainable economic growth.
With support from various stakeholders, the government is optimistic that this agenda will become the foundation for the nation’s future transformation. (*)
