REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The new government of Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, and Jusuf Kalla should seek to overcome the nation's energy crisis, according to Medco Group owner Arifin Panigoro.

"Our oil reserves will run out in 11 years if there are no new discoveries. Therefore, the new government should act immediately to get out of the trap of the energy crisis," Arifin said, while delivering a lecture at Paramadina University here on Saturday.

He remarked that because the cost of fuel subsidies continues to swell to hundreds of trillion rupiah per year, the new government should seek to allocate state spending from fuel to other more necessary sectors.

"Jokowi and Kalla should get ready to be unpopular in the eyes of the people by shifting state spending to other sectors, such as infrastructure, education and food security," he said.

Arifin noted that based upon Woodmac research, Indonesia could be the world's largest oil importer, after the United States and Mexico.

"There should be a breakthrough in the near future, especially for oil exploration in at least 10 years, because in 11 years our oil reserves will run out," he said.

Therefore, he expressed hope that the next government would soon issue a government regulation, in lieu of law, to support policies to resolve the nation's energy crisis.

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