Jakarta, May 21 -- President Prabowo Subianto emphasized Indonesia's strong determination to reduce dependence on fuel imports and establish national energy self-sufficiency.

According to the president, Indonesia can allocate US$40 billion of the budget, usually spent on fuel imports annually, to support strategic government programs in education, health, and poverty eradication.

"This is the potential (of budget) that we can actually use to help our people in strategic areas, such as education and health," Prabowo remarked at the 49th Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) Convention and Exhibition here on Wednesday.

He encourages collaboration between the government, the private sector, and state-owned enterprises to realize his visi...