VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that in the next five years the government wants to focus on the downstream industry of nickel ore, considering that Indonesia has the largest nickel reserves in the world.

“Indonesia has the largest nickel reserves in the world, 25 percent of the world's nickel reserves are in Indonesia, which amounts to approximately 21 million tons. Indonesia controls almost 30 percent of nickel production in the world, "said President Jokowi in a virtual PDI Perjuangan 48th anniversary commemoration, Sunday.

President Jokowi said Indonesia already has an integrated nickel ore industry from upstream to downstream with production such as ferronickel or stainless steel.

In the future, said President Jokowi, Indonesia also needs to process nickel ore into lithium batteries that can be used for cellphones and electric cars.

President Jokowi believes that the creation of new economic sectors from the upstream to downstream chain of the nickel ore industry will create many jobs.

If it succeeds in becoming a lithium battery producer, he said, then Indonesia will become an important player in the global electric car industry chain.

"In the future, we want BUMN cooperation with the private sector and multinational companies. We want to enter the next phase of the production of lithium batteries as the main component of electric vehicles, which is a great opportunity for us to enter the electric vehicle industry, which is the future," explained President Jokowi. (antaranews)