VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

MENRISTEK - ANTARA

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is targeting an investment of US$5.98 billion in the mineral and coal sub-sector in 2021.

"In 2021, we target investment of close to US$6 billion. This is a big task that we have to bear in an attempt to recover the economy," the ministry's director general of mineral and coal, Ridwan Djamaluddin, said here on Friday.

The investment target for 2021 is lower than the previous year's target of US$7.7 billion, he added. The realization of investment in the sub-sector in 2020 reached just US$4 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he informed.

Among the factors that hindered target realization were difficulties in operation and limited mobilization of personnel on account of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB), he noted.In an effort to reach this year's investment target, the ministry will help investors to get as much information as they want in order to make an investment, Djamaluddin said.

"We will provide documents for clear information on what to be invested, the condition and reserves, the regulation. We will give best service to get the information," he stated.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Minister will also coordinate with the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) to ensure a harmonized mechanism of investment for investors.

For 2021, the mineral and coal sub-sector has four priority activities, Djamaluddin said. First, the planned issuance of four regulations on acceleration of coal added value improvement, production plan, and domestic use of mineral and coal.

Second, monitoring of smelter development in the country. The ministry is aiming to make 23 smelters operational this year.Other activities are optimization of non-tax state revenue from the mineral and coal sub-sector, and surveillance and assessment of technology-based post-mining reclamation//ANT