ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Indonesia is listed as the country that controls the world’s largest nickel reserves, but in its management it is actually controlled by other countries.
Former Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, said that currently 90 percent of nickel in Indonesia is controlled by China. This happened because Indonesia does not yet have its own technology to carry out downstreaming.
According to Jusuf Kalla, mastery of technology and political support through the issuance of regulations are Indonesia’s main capital in being able to master technology. Because, only through mastering technology can Indonesia become a developed country.
“We talk about many things, we talk again about nickel, 90% of nickel is controlled by China because we use their technology, we always have low self-esteem as if we can’t master technology,” said Jusuf Kalla at the Economix: Global Economic Challenges event at University of Indonesia, Monday, November 27 2023.
Jusuf Kalla admitted that the downstream program for nickel commodities in Indonesia was able to ignite economic growth. However, unfortunately the downstream program is ultimately still controlled by Chinese entrepreneurs, because technology has not been mastered domestically.
“We can master the technology, smelters, electricity, we can master everything with your workers, young engineers. So we can achieve this progress if we have political influence and mastery of technology,” said Jusuf Kalla.
According to him, Indonesia is a country rich in natural resources. But unfortunately, currently many natural resources are still sold in raw form because they cannot be processed.
In the end, there is no added value, such as wider employment or greater state income from the use of Indonesia’s natural resources.
“No matter how rich this country is, as long as it doesn’t master technology, we will be colonized by countries that have technology and capital capabilities, and are confident, without that nothing will happen,” he continued.
He assessed that changes in the world economic system today have been heavily influenced by technology, from trading systems to transactions, all of which are made easier by the use of technology.
“So if Indonesia wants to have a big influence in this world, then technology must be mastered well. You will not progress without mastering technology and also practicing technology,” he concluded. (AT Network)
Check out other news and articles at Google News