President Prabowo Urges SOEs to Support Local Entrepreneurs in Masela Block Development

President Prabowo Subianto has instructed state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and Danantara Indonesia to provide assistance to local entrepreneurs so they can participate in and benefit from the development of the Abadi Masela LNG National Strategic Project in Southwest Maluku. During the virtual groundbreaking ceremony for the project from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, the President stressed that energy sector development must have a direct impact on the community, particularly through the involvement of regional business actors. “If there are local entrepreneurs who are still lacking in competence, help them. There must be partiality, affirmative action,” said Prabowo.

The Head of State requested that all parties involved in the Masela Block project prioritise local workers and entrepreneurs. He stated that if regional business actors still lack adequate capacity, the government must provide support to enable their participation. President Prabowo said that SOEs, Danantara, and Pertamina need to direct technical assistance to local business actors so they can improve their capabilities and enjoy the economic benefits of the strategic project. “Economy must be for the people, not the people for the economy. All of this belongs to the people. Our responsibility is to ensure that the people feel the benefits, hence the commitment to prioritise local talent and assist local entrepreneurs,” Prabowo explained.

The development of the Masela Block is part of the government’s strategy to accelerate national downstreaming and industrialisation. According to the President, downstreaming requires an adequate energy supply to support industrial growth. “We must carry out downstreaming, and this downstreaming requires energy. Our energy is abundant. There is only a two to three year transition period,” the President said.