Jakarta. A senior government official said Wednesday that energy-related policymaking must pay attention to factors such as affordability and availability.

Muhammad Pradana Indraputra, a special staff at the Energy Ministry, said that there were some factors that the government had to consider before making a policy in the energy sector. 

"The first one is availability. We have to make sure that the energy is available. ... Second is affordability. Our people must be able to afford them. Those who use gasoline must be able to afford it, the same goes for gas," Pradana told an Energi dan Mineral Festival conference in Jakarta.

Last but not least is accessibility.

"Those who live in Jakarta might have easier access to gasoline, electricity, and everything is cheap. Unfortunately, our friends in remote regions might not experience the same thing," Pradana said.

Pradana admitted that it would be difficult for Indonesia to shift away from fossil fuel, although this does not mean that Jakarta wants to roll back on its energy transition target.

"It is not that simple in real life. The government has the responsibility to provide energy for the people. Where should we source the energy from?" Pradana said.

Even so, the government has drafted its 10-year electrification strategy, which sees the country ramping up the renewables share in its energy mix over the coming years. Pradana also went on to talk about Indonesia's reliance on foreign energy, which had taken a toll on the country's trade balance. The national oil production currently stands at around 600,000 barrels per day. This is a huge gap from the national consumption of around 1.4 million barrels per day.

"That's why we must focus on building energy self-sufficiency. From us, for us. We must be able to provide energy domestically," Pradana said.

The dialogue was a curtain-raiser to the 2025 Energi dan Mineral Festival. This two-day conference will take place in Hutan Kota by Plataran, Jakarta, on July 30-31. The forum will zero in on President Prabowo Subianto’s dream of making Indonesia self-sufficient in energy in the coming years. Indonesia’s industrialization of its minerals will also be a major talking point at the conference. Click on this link to find out more about the event.

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