Former Bina Marga Director Opens Up About Asbuton, IUP Issues, and Prices

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A road paving expert and former Director of Technical Development at the Directorate General of Bina Marga in the Ministry of Public Works (PU), Purnomo, has revealed various factors hindering the optimal utilisation of Aspal Buton (Asbuton) for road construction in Indonesia. According to him, the issues surrounding Asbuton are not new and have persisted for a long time without a thorough resolution. He assesses that Asbuton has largely remained a topic of discussion and research, but has not been seriously implemented in road infrastructure development. Purnomo also spotlighted claims regarding the vast reserves of Asbuton frequently made in various forums. He stated that the reserve figures are still estimates and have not been fully verified. “It’s an estimated deposit. It’s suspected, not confirmed. Suspected to be 649 million tonnes,” he added. He further explained that the “suspected” status indicates that the data has not undergone adequate confirmation through comprehensive exploration. He elaborated that after the reform era, the management status changed, allowing permits to be issued by local governments. This situation resulted in mining areas being divided among many parties without accompanying adequate exploration activities. “The IUPs were divided up. Small ones like that. No exploration ever done,” he said. From a technical perspective, Purnomo explained that Asbuton has different characteristics from petroleum asphalt, requiring additional processes before it can be optimally used. “Asphalt’s function is to bind rock mixtures,” he remarked. However, in Asbuton, the asphalt content is within the rock, making it difficult to utilise directly.