Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Special Expert Staff to the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Firdaus Ali said, with a budget of almost IDR 400 trillion, Indonesia only produces emissions, while China with a budget of IDR 330 trillion has succeeded in building the largest dam in the world.

“I went back to 2008. We burned almost IDR 400 trillion and it didn’t turn into anything, what ended up being emissions. But China’s IDR 330 trillion became the biggest dam on the planet,” said Firdaus when met at Gama Tower Kuningan, Jakarta, Wednesday ( 11/1/2023).

Firdaus explained that China built the Three Gorges dam over 11 years with a budget of IDR 330 trillion and has produced 22,500 megawatts per dam.

“Then that value was smaller than the fuel subsidies we burned in 2008. Just imagine, 1 year after we burned fuel, China built the biggest dam on the planet which then drove China’s economy crazy from one dam,” he explained.

Therefore, according to Firdaus, building a dam is a very smart choice for China to make.

“Because the Yangtze River is the river that navigates the transportation of agricultural products, commodities and that is what makes China’s economy rise to the top,” he said.

For this reason, he believes that Indonesia should follow China’s footsteps, by encouraging the construction of as many dams as possible in Indonesia.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(dce)