President Prabowo Highlights Food Self-Sufficiency, People-Centered Economic Development in State of Nation Address

President Prabowo Subianto stressed the importance of building Indonesia into a nation capable to feed her own people. He made the statement in his State of the Nation Address at the Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) and the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) at the Nusantara Building of the MPR/DPR/DPD RI Compound in Jakarta on Friday (08/14).

President Prabowo said that efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency must address various challenges faced by farmers, including access to fertilizer, grain prices, and convoluted regulations. According to the President, the Government has chosen to find solutions and ensure that bureaucracy must not stand in the way of sound decision-making and does not hinder policies that serve the people’s interests.

“Bureaucracy must not obstruct good decisions. We must admit that the problem of our nation is convoluted and inefficient bureaucracy,” the President said.

President Prabowo emphasized the importance of reforming the bureaucracy so that it operates efficiently and is free from abuses of authority. He reminded that the state must be present to make things easier for the people, both through the Central Government and regional governments.

“This requires unity among all leaders and political groups. Inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy will destroy a nation. The state must make life easier to the people, not more difficult,” the President stressed.

On that occasion, President Prabowo expressed his appreciation to farmers, agricultural extension workers, regional governments, the TNI (Indonesian National Defense Forces) and the Indonesian National Police, cooperatives, and food-sector SOEs for their hard work and mutual cooperation in strengthening national food security. The President also highlighted the achievement of self-sufficiency in eight food commodities over the past year, while setting a target of achieving garlic self-sufficiency within the next three years.

“We have delivered significant results, and sometimes we must recognized that our nation is capable of making great achievements. We must not belittle ourselves. We must not surrender before we fight,” the President said.

President Prabowo also highlighted development achievements in the fisheries sector through the establishment of Merah Putih (Red-and-White) Fishers’ Villages equipped with various supporting facilities. To date, 100 fishers’ villages have been established, with a target of establishing and operationalizing 1,386 fishers’ villages by the end of December 2026.

In the people’s economy sector, President Prabowo reported progress in the development of Merah Putih Village Cooperatives. To date, 10,000 Merah Putih Cooperatives have been established and are operating, with 3,300 of them are already operating optimally.

“Our target is to have 30,000 Merah Putih Cooperatives established and operating optimally by the end of 2026,” he said.

President Prabowo stressed that Merah Putih Cooperatives are an important instrument for strengthening the people’s position in supply chains and preventing practices that may harm the public. The President said that the Government is not anti-market, but must ensure that markets are not manipulated by parties with large amounts of capital.

“For that reason, we must support, organize, and empower our people through cooperatives. Cooperatives that are supported, strengthened, and empowered,” the President said. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (EST/MMB)