Prabowo Pushes Palm Oil Expansion in Papua Despite Public Critics Over Sumatra Disasters

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — President Prabowo Subianto confirmed the government is committed to achieving national energy self-sufficiency in order to reduce dependence on fuel oil imports and potentially save hundreds of trillions of rupiah each year from the subsidy budget. In his address to regional heads of Papua and KEPP OKP at Istana Negara, Jakarta, on Tuesday (16/12/2025), he said Indonesia's fuel imports currently reach Rp520 trillion per year. If import dependence can be reduced by half, the country could potentially save Rp250 trillion.

“This year, every year, we spend hundreds of trillions on fuel imports. If we could grow palm oil, grow cassava, grow sugar cane, use solar and hydropower, imagine how many hundred trillion we could save every year,” he said.

He said the government had begun to take concrete steps by targeting no more imports of diesel by 2026. Furthermore, the government also targeted Indonesia no longer importing gasoline. According to the President, this is very possible given that Indonesia has the potential of new renewable energy sources (EBT) in various regions, including Papua.

He said the government has prepared a policy so that energy-producing regions can enjoy direct benefits from energy produced in their own regional. The development of EBT is called to be key, especially in solar and hydropower.

“Later, difficult areas, we will have to use solar power or hydropower. Solar power technology is now getting cheaper, and this can reach remote areas, as well as hydro power. There are mini-hydro-hydro, which can also be used in remote areas,” he said.

In addition to EBT, he also encourages the utilization of bioenergy-based energy through the development of palm oil, sugarcane, and cassava as feedstocks for biodiesel and bioethanol. According to him, this step can reduce the need for fuel imports while strengthening the energy independence of the region.

“This is all so that there is independence for each region. If there is solar power and hydropower, there is no need to send expensive fuel from these regions and we also hope that in the Papuan regions you will have to grow palm oil so that it can also produce fuel from palm oil, as well as sugar cane produces ethanol,” he added.

sumber : Antara