Jakarta. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo recently launched the production of mining giant Freeport Indonesia’s smelter at Gresik Special Economic Zone in East Java.

The inauguration marked a milestone for Indonesia’s domestic processing strategy. During the ceremony, Jokowi -- alongside Freeport Indonesia’s president director Tony Wenas -- toured around the smelter and refinery area. Jokowi also monitored the copper cathode production process and signed the copper cathode to mark the start of the production.

Jokowi extended his appreciation to the timely construction of the smelter as it could contribute to Indonesia's economy as it enabled the domestic processing of its minerals. It is also set to make Indonesia more competitive globally.

"The construction of the Freeport smelter is our effort to make Indonesia become an advanced industrial country that processes its own natural resources and does not export raw materials," Jokowi said, adding that the smelter would help Indonesia rely less on domestic consumption.

"We want the economy to rely on production, productivity from companies, both state-owned and private," he said.

State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir also made a similar comment as the smelter aligned with Indonesia’s resource nationalism policy in the mining sector. 

"This is the president's commitment, how you have a vision, you encourage, monitor and supervise, and also ensure this happens. How to implement certainty for the nation's economic growth," he said.

Freeport Indonesia’s president director Tony Wenas emphasized that the completion and operation of this smelter reflected the company’s commitment to the special mining business permit and the country’s domestic processing strategy.

"We have achieved a major milestone in our journey to become an integrated copper mining company from upstream to downstream. Freeport Indonesia operates the largest underground mine in the world, the largest single line smelter in the world, the largest copper cathode producer in the world, making Freeport Indonesia the largest upstream-downstream integrated mining in the world," Tony said.