Minister of Public Works: Regulation on Asbuton use finalised
Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo has disclosed that a regulation concerning the use of Buton Asphalt (Asbuton) has been finalised and will soon be disseminated. “It should be complete by now,” Dody stated in Jakarta on Thursday. He added that the regulation on Asbuton use is awaiting dissemination. “We just need to socialise it,” he said.
The regulation in question is Minister of Public Works Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 10 of 2026 on the Use of Processed Buton Asphalt for Road Construction and Preservation. According to the ministerial regulation, it was issued with the aim of increasing the use of processed Asbuton as a high-quality, consistent, sustainable, and effective road material, and enhancing its capability as an additive and/or substitute for petroleum-based asphalt.
Furthermore, it seeks to encourage the widespread use and downstream processing of national asphalt based on processed Asbuton in road construction and preservation across various road statuses through technical guidance, monitoring, and continuous evaluation. One of the considerations is that reducing dependence on imported asphalt materials and minimising the fiscal impact of global market price fluctuations for fuel oil requires the availability of asphalt materials sourced from national natural resources.
Another consideration is that fostering self-reliance and supporting the downstream processing of national asphalt based on Buton asphalt requires support for the implementation of road construction and preservation using processed Buton asphalt products sustainably. Additionally, promoting the use of processed Buton asphalt must be supported by a material supply chain system, construction equipment, effective procurement procedures, as well as continuous technical guidance and monitoring with stakeholders. Ministerial Regulation Number 10 of 2026 was enacted by Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo in Jakarta on 13 May 2026.
Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo previously stated that regulation is necessary as a legal umbrella so that the use of Asbuton can be immediately implemented in road infrastructure development projects. He explained that the use of Asbuton is one of the government’s efforts to reduce high dependency on imported asphalt. According to him, initial application will commence through an A30 mixture scheme, namely the use of 30 percent Asbuton in the asphalt mix. Dody added that the implementation of this scheme is expected to gradually reduce asphalt imports whilst strengthening the self-reliance of the domestic industry.