By: Ahmad Subur
Indonesia has abundant natural resources and is well utilized by the government. The success of its management must be appreciated, because the results will be for the welfare of the people.
We are blessed with beautiful nature plus abundant natural products, ranging from oil, coal, to copper. The wealth of natural resources in Indonesia should be grateful because not all countries in the world have them. So that these natural resources can be one of the capital so that our country’s economy rises and becomes an Asian tiger, and is respected by the international community.
Natural resource wealth should also be accompanied by its management, because if you are not good at managing it, you will end up losing yourself, even being tricked by foreign people. Don’t let natural wealth backfire, causing Indonesia to experience modern colonialism. The government is trying to make all management of natural resources, especially the vital ones, done by themselves without any fuss from outsiders.
One of the natural resources managed is petroleum and the takeover of the Rokan block is an achievement, because in the end it was managed by a state-owned company. When held by SOEs, it automatically becomes the property of the government, no longer external parties, so it is hoped that it will benefit the Indonesian people. State-owned companies have been working professionally since the composition of their officials was reorganized, so they are expected to provide high profits.
Hopefully the price of oil will continue to rise per barrel, and indeed this type of natural resource is always needed by humans. When there are a lot of orders from abroad, the state-owned oil company will benefit. They can get more money, and of course some of the proceeds are channeled to civilians, in CSR programs.
In addition to oil, copper and gold are natural resources of high value. The management of these 2 natural resources deserves appreciation because it is carried out very professionally. When there is a copper mine, which has been acquired by the government, the result belongs to Indonesia. We will not be dead chickens in the rice barn, because it is managed well and produces high profits.
Moreover, in the copper mine, the majority are filled by employees native to Indonesia and native to the area. So that local residents can prove that they are capable of working in the mines, and occupy a strategic position, not only as manual laborers. The government really practices the principle of justice, even outside Java.
The management of national natural resources must indeed be returned to the people, in the sense that they are also obliged to enjoy the results. As Indonesian citizens, of course they get a splash from the management of natural resources, although not in a direct form (eg copper or gold plates). However, the results of its management are in the form of infrastructure and other facilities.
The infrastructure is built and the capital is from the management of natural resources, so that it can be enjoyed by the people. People can cross good roads or majestic bridges, because these facilities are firmly established thanks to CSR assistance from the BUMN managing natural resources.
Natural resource management must also be carried out very professionally, in the sense that no one should be absent or practice KKN. Corruption is strictly prohibited because it undermines the state from within and harms state-owned companies that manage natural resources. The KPK, the National Police, and other parties are also monitoring so that there are no errors like this.
The success of natural resource management must be grateful and appreciated because it shows the government’s performance to improve the welfare of its people. Do not let strategic natural resources, the project is actually played by outsiders. SOEs are obliged to acquire the management, because it is better to be held by Indonesians themselves, so that the results will benefit the small people.
(The author is a contributor to the press circle and a student of Cikini)