Indonesia, a country with the largest nickel reserves in the world, is currently facing the challenge of a downward trend in nickel prices on the world market. As reported by CNBC Indonesia on Monday (22/1), the world nickel price for a three-month contract was recorded at 16,036 US dollars per ton. This position is said to be the lowest since April 2021. The media wrote that the decline in world nickel prices is partly due to the world being flooded with nickel supplies. This excess supply is predicted to occur over the next few years.

 

It’s important to note that not all electric vehicles use nickel as the raw material for their batteries. Car manufacturer Tesla, for example, switched from nickel to lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) for the batteries of their new types of vehicles, because LFP is considered to have several advantages over nickel. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, Lithium prices have suffered a similar fate, plummeting due to an overabundance of supply, and at their lowest point in two years. Cobalt, another battery raw material, is at its lowest price in the last four years. Together, these three make up the materials usually processed into lithium-ion batteries.

 

However, falling prices do not necessarily indicate the future of Indonesian nickel is dark. Nickel is not only used as a basic material for electric vehicle batteries. It also plays an important role in human life. These natural materials are the basic ingredients for thousands of industrial, military, transportation, aviation, marine, architectural, health products, and even household utensils such as pans and cutlery. Therefore, the Indonesian government’s nickel downstream policy should continue, albeit with various adjustments. This aligns with the government’s policy of downstreaming other natural resources, which is encouraged for the welfare of the people. Downstreaming is a process and method for processing raw materials into ready-to-use products. The process is carried out to leverage more value from products, as well as increase their overall value, and strengthen industries while also creating more jobs.

The day originated from the Covid-19 outbreak at the end of 2019. The outbreak, which started in China, quickly spread throughout the world, claiming millions of victims and leaving the world shocked and overwhelmed. The World Health Organization (WHO) as of August 9, 2023 recorded more than 760 million cases of Covid-19 with 6.9 million deaths worldwide. The actual figure is thought to be much higher.

 

After months of research, world epidemic experts have concluded that Covid-19 can be overcome quickly if the world is well-prepared. Thus, the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is intended to highlight the importance of prevention, preparedness, and partnership in fighting epidemics.

 

Until recently, the Covid-19 virus is still circulating throughout the globe with various new variants. Casualties are still falling, although the death rate is much lower. The impact of the outbreak is still being felt today. The Covid-19 outbreak has wreaked havoc on long-term social and economic development. The global health crisis has disrupted global supply chains and caused disproportionate damage to the livelihoods of people, including women and children, as well as the economies of the poorest and most vulnerable countries.

 

In Indonesia, the number of Covid-19 cases has recently started to show signs of increasing, even though Indonesia is said to be one of the quite successful countries in dealing with Covid-19. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the number of cases has now reached 2800 per week. This is indeed not much compared to the peak of the highest daily Covid-19 cases on January 30, 2020, which reached 14,528.

 

But something big generally starts with small things. For this reason, Indonesian Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin appealed to the public to be alert and re-implement health protocols. This includes avoiding crowds, maintaining cleanliness such as washing hands or using cleaning fluid, wearing a mask, and receiving the Covid-19 vaccine as a form of preparedness.

 

Observing the history of pandemics throughout the world, new outbreaks may emerge in the future, perhaps even with a much higher level of intensity and severity.

 

Specifically for Indonesia, building a strong and long-lasting health system is the responsibility of the elected president and vice president in the upcoming 2024 election.