JakartaPost-Aug 25
President Prabowo Subianto on Monday inaugurated a slate of officials to lead two newly established agencies, a move seen as central to his administration’s economic and infrastructure agenda. The appointments place key allies in charge of managing strategic mineral resources and northern Java coastal development. The President installed Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto as head of the Mineral Industry Agency. The appointment, based on Presidential Decree No. 77P/2025, adds a significant strategic role to Yuliarto’s existing portfolio. Brian said the body’s primary focus would be on strategic minerals vital for the defense industry, including rare earth elements, radioactive minerals and other critical materials. “These strategic materials are quite important for national sovereignty. They are also expected to boost our economy,” Brian said at the State Palace on Monday. Brian, who retains his role as higher education, science and technology minister, said the appointment would create a crucial synergy, enabling a direct pipeline from university research on mineral processing to industrial-scale applications for national defense. He has previously noted that rare earth metals often emerge as by-products from processing minerals like nickel and tin. Indonesia has also been seeking to process rare earths found in tin ore, such as monazite. Indonesia has large reserves of several critical minerals as well as deposits of rare earth elements and is a major producer of tin and nickel. “Rare earths are in high demand globally, so they require special government attention,” Coordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Monday, explaining the reason for the agency’s creation. There was a clear division of labor between the new body and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, he added. Read more at:
