TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Industry Ministry is targeting to produce four million tons of nickel by 2020, which is equivalent to 10 percent of the global demand that reaches 40 million tons per year.

“We are optimistic that we can reach the goal since Indonesia has 32 purification and processing factories spread across a number of industrial regions,” said the ministry’s Directorate General of Metal, Machine, Transportation, and Electronic, I Gusti Putu Suryawirawan yesterday, May 11.

Read: Indonesia to Supply 10 Global Nickel Need by 2020

Indonesia’s smelter-based industrial district regions are located at the Eastern part of country, such as Konawe, Kolaka, Obi Island, Halmahera, and Morowali. China is the current main supplier of nickel, although the country also imports ore and semi-finished products from other countries including Indonesia.

The 2,000 hectares of Morowali industrial region is expected to attract investment worth US$6 billion and is planned to absorb 20,000 to 80,000 workers. Meanwhile, the 3,000 hectares of Bantaeng industrial district will attract a US$5 billion investment.

The ministry has prepared 1,200 highly qualified human resources to fill-in the job vacancies available in the industrial district. The government partners with the industry in forming vocational education institutions to create skilled workers for the East Indonesia metal industry field.

Currently, there are 13,000 labor forces in Morowali industrial region and 2,000 of them are Chinese foreign workers.

FERY F