Jokowi vows to tackle energy crisis in Kalimantan

BANJARMASIN. Presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, during a recent three-day visit to resource-rich Kalimantan, pledged to overcome the energy crisis facing the area.

During a tour of a number of cities, including Balikpapan and Samarinda in East Kalimantan and Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, Jokowi met with regional leaders and local figures as well as supporters of his presidential candidacy. He said he heard common complaints from all of them.

“The cities are facing similar problems, namely energy crises, overlapping mining permits and unfair royalty distribution,” said Jokowi during a discussion at the headquarters of the Kompas Gramedia Group-affiliated Banjarmasin Post news provider in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, on Sunday.

He said renegotiating mining contracts was one of measures the government should take to resolve the problems.

“Renegotiating mining contracts is crucial to ensuring that all people can enjoy the benefits of mining in these areas. We should synchronize policies so that no party gets less than it deserves. If we need to revise a certain law or government regulation, then we should revise it,” he added.

South Kalimantan Governor Ruddy Arifin said his provincial administration had received less than 3 percent of royalties from the energy sector.

“We expect a more just profit-sharing scheme,” he said.

During the discussion, Jokowi also expressed his commitment to the development of power plants and smelters in the region, in order to add value to minerals that are produced.

“The problem being faced is that it is always a complicated process to gain a permit. I’m sure that many companies are interested in investing in the development of the power plants but it often takes years to gain a permit. If we could simplify the procedures so it only took weeks to get permits, it would be easier for us to develop the power plants,” said Jokowi, who also expressed his support for the use of renewable energy. (ebf) (Sita W. Dewi)