'RI will focus its research on food, energy development'
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia, aware of the rising demand for food and energy in the next two decades, will focus its research work on food manufacturing and energy availability, a top official said on Monday.
State Minister of Research and Technology M. Hatta Radjasa told reporters on the sidelines of the National Coordinating Meeting on Research, Science and Technology, that the decision was taken because the areas were of the utmost importance for the country's population of about 220 million.
"It is very unreasonable for a country with a large population like Indonesia, that food is still imported in significant quantities," Hatta said.
He rejected the idea that "the previous research ignored food manufacturing process in the country".
"Organic farming, biopesticides and new rice hybrids, in fact, are also food manufacturing development."
Touching on the long-term aims of the research, he said that by 2017 Indonesia would increase not only its food production but also rely on nuclear power for its energy needs.
When asked about the budget for the planned research, the minister declined to mention the figure, saying only: "for sure, research will consume around 60 percent of the total budget for research and technology."
Over the past eight years, the country's budget for research is around 0.2 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which in 2002 reached Rp 1,800 trillion (US$200 billion). Now they are planning to increase it to at least one percent of GDP in the next eight to 10 years.
Although priority would be given to food and energy research, other research, including in the once-famous aircraft industry, would not be ignored, he said. He blamed the lack of research in the other areas on the country's limited funds and poor education standards.
Hatta also urged researchers to be innovative to produce things that supported local industry.
He admitted that to boost the creativity of the researchers the government would have to also strengthen law enforcement regarding piracy and violation of property rights in industrial- commercial technology.
"It is important for all of us to fight piracy and increase the people's awareness of property rights, because if we keep on pirating products, the world will put us into a primary watch list which will eventually affect our economy badly," Hatta said.
Separately, Minister of Energy Purnomo Yusgiantoro, one of the key speakers at the meeting, noted that Indonesia's potential in energy resources was proven by the fact that 40 percent of last year's total investments were staked on the energy sector.
"Indonesia has large potential in the geothermal energy sector. About 40 percent of the world's geothermal energy is in Indonesia," Purnomo said, adding, however that "the exploration (in this field) is only about one percent."
He said the ministry was drafting five bills on energy this year, covering oil and gas, electricity, geothermal resources and mining.