Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, revealed that convoluted licensing bureaucracy remains the main obstacle in accelerating the implementation of modern waste management technologies, such as Waste-to-Energy (PSEL) systems. According to him, bureaucratic licensing processes often cause investors to withdraw from these strategic projects.
Zulkifli explained that in the past, building a waste management facility took up to 11 years to obtain approval. The process involved a lengthy workflow, starting from local governments and regional councils (DPRD), provincial governments, to various relevant ministries, such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and the Ministry of Environment.
"In almost all sectors, licensing complexity is a real barrier to implementing government priority programs. For instance, fertilizer regulations alone amount to 145 rules," Zulkifli said on Wednesday (8/7/2026). He emphasized that deregulation steps are now key to simplifying rules so that the investment climate becomes more conducive.
As a concrete form of governance improvement, the government has inaugurated the construction of a PSEL facility in Pedungan Village, South Denpasar, Bali. The project, managed by Danantara Indonesia, marks a new chapter for integrated and sustainable waste management in the country following the issuance of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 109 of 2025.
The three first-phase projects in this initiative have now been designated as National Strategic Projects (PSN). With the support of more transparent and efficient regulations, the government is optimistic that modern technology-based waste management can deliver significant economic and environmental impacts for the wider community.
