TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said the government will start building the world's first Green Industrial Park. The construction was planned to commence next month.

“It will produce green products, green energy. All of them will be new and renewable energy,” he said while briefing the participants of the XXIII Short Education Program (PPSA) and the 2021 LXII Regular Education Program (PPRA) of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) at State Palace, Central Jakarta, today, Oct. 13.

Widodo said the park will be built in North Kalimantan in an area of around 20,000 hectares. One of the energy sources to be used is the flow of the Kayan River.

The head of state said Indonesia must start to prepare for industrial development based on green technology as the world demands the country to participate in developing a more environmentally friendly industry.

“Because in the future, in the next 10 years, the European Union, the United States will no longer want to buy goods produced from industries that use coal [as the energy resource]. They don't want it anymore. Everything is going that (green) way. We have to go ahead,” he underlined.

Jokowi also claimed that this Green Industrial Park will be the first in the world and many parties have shown their interests in it. “Many people have been lining up to book this area because they know green energy will be used here.”

Read: Jokowi: Automotive Industry Recovers as Purchase Order Rises

EGI ADYATAMA