President Prabowo: National Energy Must be Managed with Integrity

President Prabowo Subianto at the Pertamina Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan province, Monday (01/12) (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Prabowo Subianto, on Monday (01/12), urged that Indonesia must not continue to feel inferior or be dependent on other nations, but instead it must stand on its own feet in all aspects of life.

“We must be a confident nation. We must be a nation that is proud of our achievements. We must not see ourselves as inferior [to other nations],” President Prabowo said at the inauguration of the Pertamina Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan province.

In his remarks, the President expressed pride in the steps taken by the Government toward national energy self-sufficiency, adding that energy independence is an absolute prerequisite for a nation’s true independence, especially given Indonesia’s ample resources.

“Today we take another step toward energy self-sufficiency, toward our ability to stand on our own feet. Our energy security must not depend on external sources,” he said.

The Head of State also openly acknowledged governance problems within state-owned energy company PT Pertamina in recent years.

“Those whose performance is not good must be dismissed. Do not hesitate. For the sake of the nation and the people, you must be firm. There are still many youths who are more capable; we will find them,” the President said.

Furthermore, the President pointed out that the management of energy resources must be carried out with integrity, cleanliness, and transparency. He warned that markup practices constitute fraud and theft that cannot be tolerated.

“I continue to emphasize this: let us produce for the people; clean governance; trustworthy management; managing the nation’s wealth to the best of our ability,” he remarked.

The inauguration of the Balikpapan RDMP marked an important milestone in the transformation of national energy, while reaffirming President Prabowo’s leadership direction namely energy for sovereignty, prosperity, and national dignity. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (GWH/MMB)