Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia on 2026 Early-Year Briefing at Hambalang, Bogor regency, West Java province, Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good afternoon,

May prosperity be upon all of us,

Shalom,

Salve,

Om swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of Virtue,

Blessed.

Distinguished Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Gibran Rakabuming Raka; Coordinating Ministers, Ministers, Heads of Agencies, Chairman of the National Economic Council, Special Presidential Advisors, Attorney General, Head of the National Intelligence Agency, Chief of the National Police, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces and Chiefs of Staff, Vice Ministers, and all members of the Red and White Cabinet whom I am proud of.

First and foremost, as people of faith, let us continuously offer our gratitude to Almighty God—Allah SWT for Muslims—for the blessings of health and goodness bestowed upon us, allowing us to gather here this afternoon in Hambalang, West Java.

Today, I deliberately invited you to gather here at Garuda Yaksa Complex in Hambalang to deliver the Early-Year Briefing for 2026. My consideration in convening this meeting is, first, to evaluate our performance over the past year. Second, to understand the condition of our nation amid global dynamics and turbulence. And third, to look ahead—to determine what steps we must take this year and what targets we must achieve.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We fully understand that our nation is facing numerous challenges and trials. Most recently, we are keenly aware of the disasters that have struck three provinces—Aceh, as well as other regions—including West Java, East Java, Central Java, and several other areas.

In facing these challenges, we have come to realize that our nation indeed possesses strength. Our country has been able to—and continues to—prove to our people, and indeed to ourselves and our elites that the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia is strong. We have demonstrated this throughout 2025, and we will continue to prove it in 2026.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On this opportunity, at the very beginning of my briefing, I wish to express my deepest gratitude from the bottom of my heart. As President, as leader, as the recipient of the mandate from Indonesians—indeed, as the Captain—I would like to extend my thanks to my closest assistants.

To Coordinating Ministers, Ministers, Heads and Vice Heads of Agencies, high-level officials, vital state institutions, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces, Chief of the National Police, Attorney General, Head of the National Intelligence Agency, Chiefs of Staff—thank you.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have proven to the nation and to our people—the realities, verified facts on the ground—that our efforts are real and tangible.

Therefore, I convey my appreciation to all of you. It would have been impossible for me, as President, to report these achievements to the nation without your hard work.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Although I may not gather you frequently, you have worked with initiatives, understanding, and courage. Making decisions and taking initiative requires bravery. The safest and easiest course is to do nothing or wait for instructions. But true leaders are those who grasp the overall direction, not those who wait for instructions on every decision.

In my view, what we have achieved is truly impressive. One of the foundational pillars of the national transformation strategy that I proposed to the people once Vice President Gibran and I ran for office was a strategy—written and measurable—developed through decades of study.

This strategy—what we call the national transformation strategy—rests on a core principle: Indonesia must be self-reliant; Indonesia must stand on its own feet. A central element of this is food self-sufficiency.

No nation is truly independent if it cannot guarantee food for its people. The starting point is rice self-sufficiency, as rice is our staple food. But food self-sufficiency means carbohydrates and protein. We must also be self-sufficient in protein.

In addition to food self-sufficiency, the next foundation is energy self-sufficiency. If we depend on other nations for our energy, we cannot prosper, nor can we escape poverty.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Global developments have proven this strategy to be correct. Imagine if we were not self-sufficient in rice, amid widespread conflicts and wars. Our rice imports previously came from Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Today, Thailand and Cambodia are frequently in conflict. After negotiations and ceasefires, hostilities flare up again. Is it safe to depend on imports from countries in conflict? Another source of our food imports is from India—yet India conflicts with Pakistan.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We also experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, when food-exporting countries closed their borders. Even if we had money, we could not import food. And imports mean our foreign exchange flows out of the country. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, food and energy must be domestically secured. They must be self-reliant.

Alhamdulillah, the target I set for our food team at the beginning of my administration was four years to achieve food self-sufficiency. Alhamdulillah, on December 31, 2025, at midnight, we were able to officially declare that in 2025 the Republic of Indonesia has achieved rice self-sufficiency.

I am also proud to state that today, Indonesia’s government rice reserves are the highest in our nation’s history. During the Soeharto administration, reserves reached the peak at two million tons. Today, our reserves exceed three million tons— an all-time high since the founding of the Republic of Indonesia. This is the result of hard work by all stakeholders.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset of our administration, we also launched Free Nutritious Meals Program. The rational was simple: studies show that on average, one in five Indonesian children—20 percent—suffers from malnutrition, and in some regions the figure exceeds 30 percent. These are cases of stunting—children with weak physical development and impaired growth.

Moreover, tens of millions of Indonesian children go to school without breakfast. Many consume only rice with vegetables. After studying examples from other countries, we launched this program on January 6, 2025. Today is January 6, 2026, and I have been informed that 55 million beneficiaries—55 million Indonesian children, including pregnant women—now receive nutritious meals every day.

This is a remarkable achievement. Take Brazil, for example. As Brazilian president told me, it took Brazil 11 years to reach 40 million beneficiaries. We reached 55 million in one year.

Are there shortcomings? Yes. In an undertaking of this scale, shortcomings are inevitable. Are there deviations? Yes. But objectively, statistically, we can say that the program has succeeded by 99.99 percent.

Certainly, we aim for zero defects. Even in a fraction of a percent matters to us, and we are continuously addressing and correcting shortcomings through tighter oversight and safeguards. The key point is that we intervened.

I recall the words of our founding fathers—President Soekarno once said, “The hungry stomach cannot wait.” A responsible leader—a leader with compassion—must work relentlessly to eliminate hunger and poverty. This is our noble duty, and we carry it with conviction.

Many experts mocked me and my team. They said the Free Nutritious Meals Program would fail. But we proved them wrong. The program has succeeded and is eagerly awaited by the people. In fact, when I visit regions recently, children call out to me, asking, “Sir, when will we receive our meals?” Let us see footage of delivery vehicles arriving welcomed by communities.

(Playing a video about the program)

I do not understand what kind of person can remain unmoved by the sight of such children. I do not understand. Please see it with your eyes and with a kind heart, our people, our children.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Believe that we are on the right path—the path of justice, the path of eradicating poverty and hunger, the path that is clean and righteous, the path blessed by Almighty God. Do not hesitate. Prove it. If our intentions are pure—if we do not steal from people, if we work for the nation’s welfare and survival—we need not be afraid.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We will be insulted, slandered, and mocked. Many forces benefit from corruption, fraud, and exploitation. They wish to grow rich on the suffering of the poor. We must be prepared. When wrongdoers attack us, it means we are doing the right thing—and we must persist in defending the truth.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There is much more to review. However, I believe for the next briefing, our fellow media colleagues should first take a break—perhaps enjoy a meal or coffee—while I deliver more detailed guidance. Some matters can be made public, but others are better kept internal for now.

(RD/MUR)