Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia on Indonesia Economic Outlook 2026, Friday, February 13, 2026

Bismillahirahmanirahim

Assalamu’alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

May prosperity be upon us all.

Shalom,

Salve,

Om Swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of Virtue.

Distinguished Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Mr. Airlangga Hartarto, as the organizer, along with all of his staff present here;

CEO of the Danantara Investment Management Agency, who also serves as Minister of Investment and Downstream Industry and Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, Mr. Rosan Perkasa Roeslani;

Head of the State-Owned Enterprises Management Agency Mr. Donny Oskaria, who is also COO of Danantara;

Coordinating Ministers, Ministers, Heads of Agencies, Vice Ministers, and all members of the Red-and-White Cabinet, whom I cannot mention one by one without diminishing my respect;

Chairperson of the National Economic Council, General (Ret.) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan;

Distinguished ambassadors of friendly countries;

Leaders of state-owned banks—Bank Mandiri, BNI, BRI, BTN, and BSI—as well as leaders of private banks present here;

Leaders of business associations, including Chairperson of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr. Anindya Novyan Bakrie; Chairperson of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Ms. Sinta Wijaya Dhani; and Chairperson of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association Mr. Akbar Himawan Bukhari;

Distinguished leaders of banking companies, financial services institutions, state-owned and private enterprises, economic institutions and national research institutions,

Distinguished university rectors, and economic experts;

Distinguished guests, members of the press and media present here.

As people of faith, let us continuously give thanks to Allah SWT, God the Almighty, for the blessings, health, and peace He bestows upon us. We also pray for our brothers and sisters facing difficulties due to disasters across various regions; we pray that they will be strengthened and restored.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honor and a source of pride for me to be present at this event. I welcome the initiative of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and all related ministers who have worked hard in the first year of our administration. Just over a year into our work, we already see that we have achieved a lot.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It takes a long journey to build a nation. It requires endurance, patience, determination, perseverance, and courage. Courage to seek the root of problems. Courage to face reality—not the situation we wish for, but the real condition. Once we understand reality, we must also have the courage to acknowledge our difficulties and weaknesses. Building a nation can be likened to making a long journey or setting out on a long march, and we know it always begins with a single step.

We must be grateful that we have taken many steps. Our founding fathers laid extraordinary foundations for us—one homeland, one language, one nation. We are diverse—consisting of hundreds of ethnic groups, different races, different religions—yet we are united in striving for a better life.

I remind you that the duty of any government is to provide a decent life for its people. That is our responsibility.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We aspire to become a developed nation. But we must be realistic. We cannot expect to instantly reach the level of countries that have achieved technological and industrial advancement for centuries. We have high hopes, but we must be realistic. Our goal is to manage and safeguard our national wealth and natural resources for the greatest benefit of all Indonesians. That is our commitment. As the Head of State, I remind you that we must have big hearts to acknowledge our weaknesses.

We must be grateful for what we have achieved and let me express my gratitude to my team—ministers, heads of agencies, and all members of the cabinet. I feel proud of your achievements. The achievements we have made are the result of their hard work. Before the Indonesian people, I said that in my view, my team—they are among the best sons and daughters of Indonesia. And I believe we can make even better achievements.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I believe we will continue to surprise the world. We will prove to all the world that Indonesia today is confident, determined to stand on its own feet, and no longer willing to be dictated to or manipulated by others.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must be willing to acknowledge our weaknesses. However, after working for one year, I have recently received reports from regional leaders—governors and regents—stating that they begin to feel the real outcomes of our policies. They stated that in their respective areas of authority, household consumption is rising.

A few days ago, I met 23 business leaders from Apindo (Indonesian business leaders association). They sent me a report, conveying that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program has stimulated household consumption and economic growth at the grassroots level—in villages and sub-districts. From the lowest layers of society, Indonesia’s economy will rise dynamically.

I have confidence that our economy will improve strongly this year. We face underestimation, but this will only make us work even harder. We work for our people—not to please others. We work for our people; that is my commitment.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Regional leaders report declining poverty, decreasing open unemployment, increasing employment, and a downward trend in the Gini ratio in their respective areas of authority.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program has reached 60.2 million beneficiaries consisting of children, pregnant women, and elderly individuals living alone. Every day, we provide meals equivalent to feeding the population of South Africa. We send MBG to their homes for pregnant women and the elderly. This is a remarkable achievement in terms of management, logistics, and control.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To date, according to our calculations, we have produced and distributed 4.5 billion meal portions to the 60.2 million beneficiaries. Out of those, 28,000 beneficiaries experienced food-related disturbances—mostly minor ones. Compared to 4.5 billion portions, this number amounts to 0.00006 percent, meaning that the remaining 99.9994 percent is a success. This is, in reality, a successful effort, though we are striving for zero error.

This morning, I inaugurated Polri SPPG (central kitchens managed by the Indonesian National Police), and we are planning to build more than 1,100 kitchens. I admire their high-quality. And I believe, based on the report from the Head of National Nutrition Agency (BGN), many kitchens meet the high-quality standards. We are already able to domestically produce advanced technology enabling us to guarantee the quality of drinking water and eating utensils, and manage kitchen waste.

Currently, there are more than 23,000 kitchens (SPPG), and in total there will eventually be more than 30,000 kitchens serving 82 million beneficiaries. Given that each kitchen employs 50 people, the MBG program provides over one million jobs currently, and potentially 1.5 million jobs in the future. Each kitchen also supports supply chains involving farmers, fishers, livestock breeders—revitalizing grassroots economies. The regional leaders have reported this.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is only the beginning of the first year of our administration, and we will prove more. We are also building 1,000 fishermen’s villages in 2026. Each village consists of hundreds or thousands of fishermen, many of whom have been left uncared for. They face difficulties, they have almost no access to cold storage or fuel oil for their boats. We have a target to build 5,000 fishermen’s villages in the next four years. Those villages will also be equipped with necessary facilities, such as ice factories, cold storage, docks, boats, and vehicles, which will be distributed in an organized manner through cooperatives, not given as handouts. These investments will be repaid to banks and to the Government.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our economy is not a handout economy; we have planned for years all that we will build. We will allow those villages to manage themselves. We will provide them with easy access to export. We will build ports and airports, enabling them to export directly. We will simplify regulations, encouraging them to boost their economy and then to help provide affordable protein sources for all Indonesians.

Therefore, we have a target to launch 1,000 fishermen’s villages in 2026 and 5,000 more in 2029. They will return the investments in 10–12 years. We will also give them relaxation in the repayment and the restructuring of the investments. This is usually applied to large-scale entrepreneurs who have credit terms of up to tens of years, yet often ask for credit restructuring.

I am an Indonesian. I used to be an entrepreneur who also asked for credit restructuring. Many large-scale entrepreneurs are granted debt haircuts. So, why don’t we do the same to our fishermen to empower them? They deserve this opportunity, especially for those living in remote areas. Many of them have never had this opportunity. They have led a restricted life in isolated islands. Now, we come to give them hope.

We are also launching the Red-and-White Cooperatives. Currently, there are 30,000 such cooperatives which are almost operational. Each one is equipped with a warehouse, cold storage, a village pharmacy, a clinic, and a micro-financing unit to eliminate loan sharks. We will also offer them low-rate credit loans.

Subsidized goods will be made directly accessible to the people, to prevent any fraud or misuse. We have prepared the budget allocation. For ten years, villages had received village funds, but we have to admit that people did not benefit from them. So many village chiefs must face the law as they are found unaccountable for the management of the funds. We will prove that our economic growth is real, in accordance with the targets that we have set.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have also proven that we are already self-sufficient in rice production, and we are aiming to be self-sufficient in food production. In 2025, our rice production reached 34.7 million tons, up 13 percent from 2024. In July 2025, our rice reserves kept by Bulog (the State Logistics Agency) reached 4.2 million tons—the highest in our history. Even up to now, our rice reserves still remain very large.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Through fiscal efficiency, we have saved over Rp308 trillion, around US$18 billion, in the first year of our administration. We use these savings to fund productive programs such as MBG. We have cut unnecessary spending by eliminating unproductive activities such as unnecessary foreign travels, ceremonies, meetings, and excessive studies. On the other hand, we address public problems, as they arise. For example, we build major infrastructures in areas suffering from infrastructure shortages, we distribute food aid to people suffering from hunger, and we prevent any inefficiencies. We have known the problems; it is time for action.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I still find many gross inefficiencies in our administration. Nevertheless, I’d like to express thanks to Danantara for having introduced great reform, resulting in four times efficiency compared to 2024. This is remarkable, but we must achieve more. I expect a seven percent return on assets. As Bung Karno once said, “The sky is the limit, reach for the stars.” We must be ready.

I once served in the Army’s special forces. Our motto is “Who dares wins”. Therefore, dare yourselves! We must dare to set higher targets. If you set the target at five percent, for example, I urge you to set it at seven percent. Don’t hesitate. We must be confident we can.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Efficiency is the key. We must admit our flaws. We must eradicate corruption and inefficiency at all levels. Once, I brought together businesspersons, most of whom are my best friends, and told them to obey the law and avoid using their resources to manipulate it. We must eradicate negative cultures and bad bureaucracy.

Someone told me that Winston Churchill once said, “I’m more afraid of my bureaucrats than I’m afraid of Adolf Hitler”. I am not sure if that was true, but I share the same feeling.

Therefore, we must eradicate corruption and create a “new Indonesia” which must be totally free from corruption. And we are a democratic country, which makes it possible for me to be elected as the President. Many people are accusing me of being authoritarian. But we live in a democratic country. So, I am completely democratic.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must be determined to obey the law. Law must be enforced properly and fairly. There must be no miscarriage of justice, no politicization of the law. I have proven [my commitment to law] by granting abolition and amnesty. Similarly, our courts must not fail to deliver justice. They must make their decisions beyond a reasonable doubt. If the defendant has not been definitively proven guilty, the court must not make any final decision in such a case.

As a leader mandated by the people, I must take the responsibility. I will uphold the rule of law and ensure legal certainty. Only with legal certainty can we ensure peace and stability for all Indonesians. Indonesians must live under the auspices of a clean and just government. This is the key to a successful nation.

I have learned from history that any nation requires a clean and just government in order to succeed and prosper. We will regenerate our bureaucracy, especially by replacing unreliable bureaucrats. We have established educational institutions. This year, we will build 10 new universities and a special institution for public administration. We will select and educate our best sons and daughters, and prepare them to be our future leaders. No one is irreplaceable.

I instruct Danantara, the State-Owned Enterprises Agency, the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reforms, and give them authority to replace officials who do not perform. And I thank you all for your hard work.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Indonesia must improve all sectors—including improving cleanliness in all villages, districts, cities, regencies, provinces, and the capital city. Particularly, pay special attention to waste management. Let me express my appreciation to educational institutions that have developed recycling technologies, waste disposal equipment which is environmentally friendly, non-damaging, odorless, and sufficient on small scales. We will deploy this equipment at the local levels starting this year, with the main purpose of streamlining waste management process.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let us create a Safe, Healthy, Clean, and Beautiful Indonesia (“Indonesia ASRI”). I see the process is already on the way. And let us also renovate the roofs of houses across Indonesia with roof tiles. I think that’s what I want to communicate to you.

And we must ensure political stability and safety for all of us. We must uphold all agreements we have made, and maintain our strong record of honoring commitments. We have never defaulted on our obligations throughout our history. We are open to investment from anywhere. We must be confident we will succeed convincingly.

I use a strategy that I call “Indonesia Incorporated.” The strong support the weak; all of us work together. The government ensures justice and fairness for all, including those who are the weakest and poorest. Together, we rise. Indonesia will not remain a sleeping giant—we will rise as a giant standing tall, building a better life for our people.

Thank you.

Wassalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

May prosperity be upon us all,

Shalom,
Salve,
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue.

Thank you.

Enjoy the discussion.

Thank you

(RD/TM)