Bogor, Jawa Barat, Nov. 14 -- The Ministry of Industry is seeking to designate the petrochemical sector as part of Indonesia's National Strategic Projects, recognizing its critical role as a primary supplier of plastic raw materials, synthetic fibers, and industrial chemicals.

Director of Upstream Chemical Industry at the Directorate General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industries, Wiwik Pudjiastuti, said here Friday the proposal is under review by the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs.

Indonesia faces a persistent gap between domestic petrochemical production and demand, especially for key commodities that support downstream industries.

For olefins like e...