Earlier this month, we reported that Tesla would officially be talking with Indonesia about potentially building a factory in the country. That news has been confirmed, as the country hopes to become the world’s biggest battery-producing giant – with Tesla’s help.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo plans to send a team of executives to meet with United States electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla about securing investments with the company, according to Yahoo Finance.
In an interview Friday, President Widodo, more colloquially known as Jokowi in Indonesia, told reporters the trip will be to promote a new “Omnibus” Job Creation law, which supposedly simplifies business operations in the country. Tesla’s move to Indonesia would represent a major investment into the country, and major access to lithium for the company, as well as a number of other metal-producing companies nearby.
Critics of the new law have also said that it may relax environmental standards. The new law, which reconciles 79 currently-existing laws, will allegedly cut unnecessary red tape to help spur investment in the country’s metal industry, according to Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment. However, many protests from unions, students, and environmentalists have already broken out throughout the law’s proposal and passing.
Such a privilege to work with people I like & respect so much. I feel blessed.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 10, 2020
Major concerns also erupted recently over a number of Indonesian metal companies’ handling of mineral waste; more specifically their dumping millions of tonnes of metal waste into the sea.
If Tesla CEO Elon Musk holds true to his previous claims of large mining contracts for companies who can do so “sustainably and ethically,” then Tesla will hold Indonesia accountable for its companies’ mining practices – ultimately a benefit to the people of the country themselves.
