TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia plans to cut back on oil asphalt imports by 500 tons in 2021. In return, the state will maximize the use of domestic asphalt, namely Buton asphalt or Asbuton.

"We are obligated to use [asbuton]. This is a must. It is our fault that we cannot use asbuton to its full potential," Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said last night, November 4.

Basuki said that his ministry had regulated the use of asbuton as raw material for road construction and maintenance, through the Public Works and Public Housing Minister's Regulation No.18/2018.

Data from the ministry shows that in 2020 asbuton had been used to build 793 kilometers of road in 25 provinces. The total volume used was 42,871 tonnes.

The total volume of asbuton deposit in Indonesia is estimated at 663 million tonnes. This potential is predicted to be able to meet the national demand for asphalt for more than 100 years.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that asbuton production should be increased. He wants asbuton to be able to compete with foreign asphalt, with have certainty in its availability and use.

Data from the Indonesian Asbuton Association (Aspabi) revealed that asbuton factories with a huge capacity will be built in Dumai and Pekanbaru. The factories will produce pre-mixed asbuton with a total production capacity of 40,000 tons.

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FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA