Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia after the Inauguration of Strategic Electricity Projects in 18 Provinces, in Jatigede Hydropower Plant (PLTA) Area, Sumedang Regency, West Java Province, Monday, January 20, 2025
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Prabowo Subianto)
Alright, so today we are pleased to inaugurate 37 projects, 26 power plants in 18 provinces that produce more than 3.2 gigawatts of energy, as well as networks and substations, which I think quite encouraging.
For this reason, I’d like to congratulate and appreciate all the people who have worked hard. There are still our brothers and sisters who have yet to enjoy electricity.
God willing, we will finish it in the next five years. I believe we are very capable. We are very optimistic about this development. Perhaps Indonesia is one of the most advanced, most consistent countries in producing transformation from fossil energy to renewable energy. So, we talk less, but we do real actions. And, this will also reduce energy imports. In the end, we must be self-sufficient in energy. That concludes my statement.
Journalist
May I have your answer, Sir. In the time leading up to 100 days of your leadership, you have 80 percent trust from the public as well, Sir. How do you respond to your government, Sir, regarding the evaluation and the level of satisfaction from the public?
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Prabowo Subianto)
The way I see it, it is important for us to be intentional and to work hard. I am very proud that my team, my cabinet works very well together, very relentlessly. They say that in our cabinet, there is no such thing as a “red date” in the calendar.
You see, on New Year’s Eve, New Year, the ministers were all working, not only in the office, but at various sites, supervising. Thank God, the end of the year, the new year went well with fuel prices under control, food prices under control, airplane [ticket] prices lowered for the first time in the history of the republic.
We are all working for efficiency in all sectors. Perhaps for the first time in the history of the republic, we also lowered the cost of the Hajj pilgrimage. Even then, I am by no means satisfied. I ordered them to seek more opportunities, to look for more possibilities to lower the prices and to continue working on efficiency, efficiency, and efficiency. So, thank God.
But we do not work just to seek good ratings. We work diligently to provide the best for the people. We are optimistic. I have seen the evidence; I have seen our true capabilities. We will approach this development and transformation seriously, and we will work very quickly, we will work exceptionally.
So, I would like to appreciate all of my assistants. Now, there is a realization that we have to work together, we have to be a team, which is the Red and White Team, the Indonesian Team. Thus, we are optimistic.
There are still some issues here and there that we are not satisfied with. We will improve them. There are occasional misunderstandings, so we solve them, we fix them. The intention is to bring progress and prosperity to our people. The intention is to eliminate poverty. The intention is to eliminate hunger. The intention is to improve the welfare of all Indonesian people. The people’s income must all increase. That is our intention. Okay, thank you.
Journalist
Sir, the implementation of the Nutritious Meal Program is also quite good.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Prabowo Subianto)
Look, look, look. The Nutritious Meal [Program] has just started. This [program] is physically not easy to be rolled out to all people. For that, I am Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, I apologize to all parents, to all children who have not received it.
However, I believe that by 2025, the end of 2025, all Indonesian children will be able to eat nutritious food. But that cannot be done at once, as it is physically impossible, administratively impossible. The process of ensuring the funds do not disappear is a process that we have to follow and it takes time.
I emphasized that we should try to find the best, most efficient way so that all of our children can enjoy it. But if they have not, I apologize. But God willing, by the end of 2025, they will. This is a massive project, it’s not a small one, physically it’s not a small one, but I assure you that the funds are ready. I guarantee, the funds are ready to provide meals to all Indonesian children. And those who do not need it, it is okay, give the rations to those who need it. That is the first one.
I would also like to ask all the teachers. Please, I really appreciate it, but there is no need. Do not thank Prabowo. Do not thank Mr. Prabowo. This is my duty as president, this is my responsibility, so there is no need to thank me.
Children are taught to respect parents, respect teachers, and study well. We are not here to seek recognition. What we want is the best for Indonesia. So, there is no need to say, “Thank you…” Do not thank Prabowo Subianto. This is our responsibility. We were elected by the people of Indonesia to serve the people. Thank you. (FI/RAS/EP)