Remarks of the President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Plenary Cabinet Meeting on Preparations for Eid al-Fitr 1446 H at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Friday, March 21, 2025

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good afternoon,

May peace be upon us all,

Shalom,

Salve,

Om swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya.

Greetings of Virtue.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for your presence at this Plenary Cabinet Meeting, held on Friday, March 21^st 2025. We convene today in preparation for the upcoming celebration of Eid al-Fitr 1446 Hijri.

Distinguished Vice President, Mr. Gibran Rakabuming Raka; the Coordinating Ministers, Ministers, Heads of Agencies, the Attorney General, the Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Chief of Police, the Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, the Chair of the National Economic Council, the Governor of Bank Indonesia, the Chair of the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and the Chair of the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS), all meeting attendees.

As people of faith, we must never cease to offer our praise and gratitude to the Almighty God for Muslims, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, for granting us health and strength, enabling us to gather here today in good health.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This afternoon, we are gathered to discuss preparations for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr. We will evaluate the current situation as we enter the final ten days of the holy month of Ramadan. Our last Plenary Cabinet Meeting was held in January, and since then, much has been accomplished.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First and foremost, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for the hard work of all Ministers and Vice Ministers of the Red-and-White Cabinet under my leadership. As a relatively new cabinet, only 130-140, to 150 days into our term, we certainly require an adjustment period. However, I have observed strong cooperation, rapid and intensive execution, as well as sincere dedication from all of you. As your leader, I can attest that the achievements we have reached thus far could not have been realized without your collective hard work. We are one team, and success is not possible without solid teamwork.

While we may feel some disappointment that our national football team has not yet secured a victory, I am confident that better days lie ahead. This is a new team, with a new coach and new technical staff, and I believe that we will achieve positive outcomes. Football holds great significance for our people as it reflects our determination and spirit. Indonesia must never be underestimated by any nation, particularly in fields such as sports.

Distinguished Attendees,

We have implemented many initiatives since our last cabinet meeting. However, due to the volume of these initiatives and breakthroughs, perhaps our communication to the public has not been as optimal or as frequent as it should be. This is something we must improve. Frankly, I am impressed by the number of policies we have been able to launch in such a short span of time. This has only been possible due to the dedication of our ministers, vice ministers, and heads of agencies.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of the most crucial matters I must convey is that, especially during this period leading to Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, our national food supply is secure and well-managed.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let us not take it for granted. We are the fourth-largest country in the world, with a vast population. For many years, we have been concerned about our food security. We have been concerned about import dependency. Alhamdulillah, this year our food production has been excellent, and I have observed that prices remain under control. Perhaps the price of bird’s eye chili slightly rose, but it is now beginning to decline. That said, I advise against excessive consumption of spicy foods—something I personally enjoyed in my youth, but which my doctor now restricts. For the younger generation—go ahead, within reason.

We are grateful to all those working very hard, especially those in the agricultural and food sectors who have made this possible. Food security is paramount, isn’t it? Stock prices may fluctuate, but as long as food is secure, the nation is secure. I observe that only a few among you get anxious about falling stock prices—Maruarar, who else? Trenggono—oh, he’s right there. Budiman remains calm as he doesn’t own stocks. Amran? No, he doesn’t dabble in the market. Who else? Rosan? He’s already bald, so no problem there!

We can take pride in the fact that the free nutritious meal program has now reached all 38 provinces and benefits two million people. Although this is not yet fully satisfactory to me, I understand that the Head of National Nutrition Agency and his entire team have been working hard. Reaching 3 million beneficiaries within three months—January through March—is a significant achievement. However, I still encounter parents in certain villages or regions asking why their children have not yet received the meals, especially after hearing that nearby areas have. This deeply touches me. They learn that the nearby villages, nearby schools, children have received the meals and they haven’t. To them I say: “We are doing our best, but our country is vast. Please be patient.” Nonetheless, I urge the Head of the National Nutrition Agency to think innovatively, creatively, to accelerate the program. Perhaps we can explore hybrid systems, as our people need and anticipate this. But I need to thank you as this is still an excellent achievement. I have received letters from world leaders expressing interest in learning from us, citing this very program as a model. And we have only just begun. They see that we are one of the most serious government with the largest recipients.

Other outstanding thing is we have also officially launched Danantara Indonesia, the Sovereign Wealth Fund for strategic investment. This consolidates the government’s economic assets and state-owned enterprises under one management structure. We want to manage this in the best possible way, with the utmost transparency and a very high level of accountability. I have instructed Danantara leadership to proceed cautiously and prudently. No need to rush. These assets belong to future generations, so it must be safeguarded properly. Therefore, I call for thorough oversight, multi-layered risk assessments, and stringent monitoring. I also urge community leaders to participate in the supervision. I want to emphasize that at any time, Danantara’s operations and all of its policies must be auditable, subject to scrutiny, and accountable at all times to anyone who seeks it.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I believe this is a major breakthrough. With that, I am confident that the management of all assets under Danantara will be significantly improved, as we will adopt internationally standardized management practices, and we also aim to engage several international-level advisors. I also observe that we have started rolling out Free Health Checks for every citizen. This has already been launched and is in operation. I believe this is also one of the breakthroughs—perhaps even globally—yes, Minister of Health, not every country has a program like this.

We have also issued Government Regulation Number 8 of 2025, which mandates that all companies receiving loans from state-owned banks and utilizing state-owned assets—whether HGU (Right to Cultivate), HTI (Industrial Plantation Forest), or usage rights—must repatriate and store their foreign exchange earnings from natural resource exports domestically. These are state assets. If a company benefits from such assets and receives government credit, it is obligated to deposit 100% of its export proceeds in the Republic of Indonesia for a minimum period of one year. I have been informed that once this is fully implemented, it could add USD 100 billion in foreign exchange annually. As it takes effect from March 1, this year we might see approximately USD 80 billion repatriated. Thus, I extend my gratitude to all parties involved in successfully launching Danantara Indonesia. The Danantara initiative, the health checks, and the export revenue regulation are all now underway.

We also recently inaugurated the establishment of the first gold bank in the Republic of Indonesia. We hold the sixth largest gold reserves in the world, yet only this year we finally have our own bullion bank. I launched this bank just a few weeks ago. So, I also thank everyone involved. Now, the people can store their gold in Indonesia, rather than in other countries. Some countries without a single gold mine already have a gold bank. Isn’t that odd?

Furthermore, we have decided to begin construction this year on 200 residential public schools for elementary, junior high, and high school levels. These boarding schools are specifically intended for underprivileged children. Through this initiative, we aim to break the cycle of poverty. A child born into poverty—say, their father is a scavenger—must not inherit that fate. The next generation must be empowered. This is our plan, and we will begin building 200 boarding schools this year. Each school is expected to accommodate 1,000 students. In the first year, they might not yet reach that number, but I hope—yes, Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education—you can reach 1,000 students per school within six months. Can it be done? Next year? Alright, next year. Please note the date, because there must be accountability. The public expects results, and fast.

We aim to inaugurate 53 schools within the next three months. The Ministry of Social Affairs already has buildings and land prepared—only minor renovations are needed. We want the first 53 operational as soon as possible, and the remaining 147 will follow. Our goal is to build 200 schools each year, so within five years we will have at least one residential public school in every regency, especially in areas with high poverty concentration.

We want to break the cycle of poverty. We want to eradicate poverty as quickly as possible, and I believe this is achievable. The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, the Minister of Finance, and perhaps the Minister of Social Affairs will each provide a brief explanation. I will also ask the Chairman of the LPS (Deposit Insurance Corporation) to present an overview of the general economic situation so we can clearly understand what we have accomplished and how great the efforts of the Indonesian people have been in striving for public welfare.

And I must emphasize again: these achievements are not solely ours. They are the result of the hard work of previous presidents and their cabinets. No nation’s development can be completed in 5 or 10 years. Building the Indonesian nation is a long-term struggle that began in 1945 and continues today. There have been ups and downs, crises, disruptions, and repeated foreign interference. We don’t blame anyone—but we must acknowledge that we’ve often been disrupted. Now is the time to learn from history. We must rise above differences through dialogue, accept criticism with an open heart, and reject division. We must work sincerely for the people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Another major decision we’ve made is to soon establish 75,000 to 80,000 village cooperatives. Some will be agriculture-based, others for fisheries, and some will follow different models. But the core idea is to activate the village and grassroots economy quickly by mobilizing our existing strengths to energize the broader economy. We believe this will have a substantial impact.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We’ve also succeeded in working with the private sector so that holiday bonuses (THR) for private sector employees, as well as those in state-owned and regional enterprises, can be distributed no later than seven days before Eid al-Fitr. This year, the government is also paying special attention to online drivers and couriers, who for the first time will receive a holiday bonus—thanks to cooperation with private businesses. I’ve heard they will receive around Rp1 million each. That’s good—but I urge employers, if possible, to give a little more. It’s just an appeal—no coercion. But if the President makes an appeal, it matters. Journalists, please underline that: it’s an appeal. Employers must understand that when times are good and profits are high, they should also look after their workers. After all, it’s the workers who make those profits possible. THR and the 13th salary for 9.4 million civil servants have also been announced.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To assist the public, we’ve successfully reduced domestic airfares by up to 13% for the travel period from March 24 to April 7, 2025. I will also urge further reductions—again, just an appeal. We’ve also implemented a 20% discount on toll road fares across several major routes for the Eid homecoming period, and a 25% discount on train fares on specified dates. I thank the ministries and agencies that issued these policies to ease the burden on the public, including free Eid homecoming programs and up to 50% discounts from mobile network providers in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs. I hope all preparations for the Eid return travel are thorough.

Traffic flow must be guaranteed to run smoothly—on land, by rail, air, and sea. The Minister of Transportation will lead the coordination and control of these efforts. The Minister of Trade will monitor food supply and staple prices. We also anticipate a rise in tourism activity, so the Minister of Tourism must ensure adequate preparation. On the security front, the National Police, Armed Forces, State Intelligence Agency, Transportation Ministry, State-Owned Enterprises Ministry, and other ministries are all working together to maintain public order. The industrial and labor sectors are also functioning well. I urge that public services—especially hospitals and healthcare facilities—remain fully operational. Banking services must also be prepared. Weather warnings and updates must be communicated to the public regularly.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

That concludes my remarks and directives regarding preparations for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday. But more broadly, I extend my deepest gratitude to all Ministers and Heads of Agency who have worked hard. That concludes the open portion of this session. Thank you to the media. We will now continue with a closed session for internal presentation and directives regarding future preparations.

I thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen.

(AY/LW)