Prabowo Gathers Ministers in Hambalang to Accelerate Waste Management into Energy
President Prabowo Subianto is pushing for more aggressive handling of national waste. In a meeting at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, on Wednesday (25/3), the President summoned several ministers to discuss accelerating the Waste to Energy (WTE) programme, or the processing of waste into energy.
The government’s main focus is to convert piles of waste, which have long been an environmental burden, into a source of alternative energy, particularly electricity.
The Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BPI Danantara, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, reported that the WTE programme is being prepared to target major cities with high population densities.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya explained that areas such as Jakarta, Bandung, and Bali are the initial focus points.
“Head of Danantara, Mr Rosan Roeslani, reported on the progress of the Waste To Energy (WTE) programme or the waste management into energy programme across Indonesia, particularly in major and densely populated cities such as DKI Jakarta, Tangerang, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Medan, Bali, and other cities in Indonesia,” said Teddy in a written statement.
This step is taken to break the deadlock in waste management in regions that have long been hampered by limited systems and policy integration. President Prabowo emphasised the importance of central coordination so that waste is no longer merely dumped but utilised.
“President Prabowo wants the Central Government to immediately manage the waste that has long been poorly handled in the regions to be cleaned up, eliminated, and utilised to become energy, especially electrical energy,” explained Teddy.
Through a downstreaming approach, the government seeks to shift the waste management paradigm from disposal to utilisation with economic value.
In addition to strengthening domestic energy supplies, the programme is projected to open opportunities for technology investments and create new jobs in the renewable energy sector.