President Prabowo Details National Strategy to End Poverty at NU Congress
President Prabowo Subianto underscored that the Government’s current national transformation strategy focuses on lifting as many Indonesians as possible out of poverty. This statement was conveyed by the President during the closing ceremony of 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) National Congress held at the Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas Islamic Boarding School, Jombang regency, East Java province, on Monday (08/13).
The Head of State noted that the foregoing message delivered by the elected Supreme Leader of PBNU (Rais Aam) at the 35th NU National Congress aligned [perfectly] with the Government’s strategic direction for national transformation. According to the President, [championing] a pro-people stance and [launching] initiatives to boost people’s prosperity are shared obligation.
“I believe this [effort] is our shared obligation. The [core] of our national transformation strategy, which I now lead, is how to lift as many Indonesians as possible out of poverty,” President Prabowo stated.
The President further emphasized that the Government has confidence in achieving this target through a meticulously calculated strategy. He mentioned that the tangible results shown in the first two years of his administration make him optimistic that [these initiatives] can continue to lift millions of Indonesians out of poverty.
“We must be courageous. I have calculated it carefully, down to every single rupiah. I am confident and believe we will succeed. We will lift millions of our people out of poverty, and we have proven it in our first two years,” he added.
On the same occasion, President Prabowo also detailed the Government’s measures to transform and improve the efficiency of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as part of the nation’s transformation strategy. He stated that by December 31, 2026, the Government targets the closure of at least 700 SOEs, bringing the total number down to around 200 to 250.
According to the President, this measure is part of the Government’s efforts to increase the efficiency of state management while ensuring that existing resources provide the greatest possible benefit to the public.
“With the Government I lead, we will close at least 700 more SOEs by December 31, 2026, leaving maybe only 200 to 250 [SOEs remaining]. By doing this, I hope we can save Rp100 trillion. From overhead, routine costs, director salaries, commissioner salaries, and our savings in various areas, it is approximately Rp200 trillion [to] Rp300 trillion each year. This is the money we are redirecting [and] distributing as much as possible directly to the people. This is what we are using for [people’s prosperity],” said President Prabowo.
In addition to efficiency, President Prabowo highlighted the importance of maintaining independence in national development financing. He stated that while the Government remains open to [foreign investment], it is [actively] working to reduce its reliance on [foreign debt].
“We currently aim to avoid heavy borrowing from various sources. We welcome investment, but if we do borrow money, we want the lowest possible interest rates. So, we were surprised, a few months ago, when our Minister of Finance was offered a loan by the IMF in Washington, D.C., which we declined. We are grateful for the offer, but Indonesia can still manage without an IMF loan,” the Head of State concluded. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (NST/LW)
