Jakarta. Outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a fairer supply chain in Indonesia in a foreign policy speech in Jakarta on Monday, saying that the country should benefit the most from the resources in its own backyard.

Guterres is currently in Indonesia — which hosts the world’s largest nickel reserves — about a few months before his term ends.

In an around 22-minute address in front of senior diplomats and politicians, Guterres repeated his calls to break the historical cycle by ensuring mineral-producing nations should keep the bigger share of the wealth, not the foreign exploiters.

“Indonesia is home to many of the critical minerals to power the global renewables revolution,” Guterres told the forum.

“In Indonesia and many developing countries, where unfortunately we have a sad history in the past, we must ensure that the countries rich in these minerals retain a far greater share of their economic value, while building local industries and creating decent jobs.”

He added: “No more plundering, no more exploitation.”

The Indonesian government has spent the past few years making sure that the mineral money is flowing to its economy. In 2020, it banned exports of raw nickel ores and only wants to ship the silvery-white metal in refined form.

The ban ruffled the European Union’s feathers to the point where the bloc sued Jakarta at the top trade court, citing the restrictions’ impact on the region’s steelmakers. The policy, however, has become a major economic boon.

The government claimed that Indonesia only exported $3.3 billion worth of nickel derivatives in 2017, which later skyrocketed to $33.9 billion in 2024.

Amid the ban, Indonesia has opened doors for foreign investors to set up refining facilities in its soil, and most of the interested businessmen have come from China.

Chief Downstream Industry Minister Bahlil Lahadalia recently set a target for nickel exports to hit the $45 billion mark this year. This silvery-white metal is key in the production of electric vehicle batteries and other advanced technologies. 

“Indonesia will no longer be a country that merely exports raw materials,” Bahlil recently said.

President Prabowo Subianto has tightened state control over ferroalloy exports, as the retired army general fears its shipments have long been subject to severe trade mispractices.

Ferronickels, too, now have to go through Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI), the agency that will verify the export documents and even track the ships for better oversight.

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