Potential Conflict of Interest in the Appointment of Prabowo Subianto's Sister as Head of the National Park Task Force

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto's move to appoint Hashim Djojohadikusumo as Chairman of the National Park Financing and Management Innovation Task Force has drawn criticism from environmental activists.

The appointment of Hashim as chairman of the task force for financing and managing national parks is suspected of being prone to conflicts of interest. First, currently Hashim is serving as the President's Special Envoy for Energy and Climate, as well as the Head of the Housing Task Force. In addition, Hashim is none other than Prabowo's younger brother.

Hashim will be accompanied by two deputies, namely the Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni and the Deputy Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN) and Special Envoy for International Trade and Multilateral Cooperation, Mari Elka Pangestu.

However, Hashim's position in the National Park Task Force has come under scrutiny. His presence is considered to increase the potential for conflicts of interest in Natural Resources (SDA) policies.

It was Raja Juli himself who revealed this after attending a limited meeting with President Prabowo at the Presidential Palace, Thursday (12/3/2026).

He emphasized that this task force was formed because the condition of the national park had not been a profit center or had not benefited. Instead, the national park was only a cost center or a financing point.

Currently, the government will seek innovative, sustainable funding, including involving the private sector, so that funding for national parks is not only carried out using state budgets.

According to Raja Juli, the management of national parks in Indonesia has so far faced the constraint of limited funding.

"As we know, we have 57 national parks in Indonesia. And I apologize that so far national parks have been managed as they are, and with very little funding," he said.

Raja Juli wants these national parks to become profit centers by developing ecotourism funding. Thus, dozens of national parks in Indonesia will not be a burden on the budget.

"How to get money, yes, funding from ecotourism and the money is returned to improve our national parks," said Raja Juli.

Firdaus Cahyadi, Program Officer for Natural Resources and Climate Justice, TIFA Foundation, said that the appointment of Hashim Djojohadikusumo as Chairman of the National Park Financing and Management Innovation Task Force increased the potential for conflicts of interest in natural resources and energy policies. Moreover, Prabowo Subianto's younger brother was also the special envoy of the President of Indonesia for climate change and energy.

Firdaus Cahyadi stated that this policy puts the government at a crossroads, between a conservation mission that is purely for the preservation of nature or merely a green economic consolidation by a handful of elites.

"The appointment of Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who is also Prabowo Subianto's brother, as the head of the Task Force is certainly not just an administrative step. The appointment is a signal of danger for the management of natural resources in Indonesia," said Firdaus in a statement received by VOI.

According to Firdaus Cahyadi, when forest rescue meets the potential for trillions of rupiah in profits, the line between public mandate and business instinct becomes very thin.

"The appointment of President Prabowo Subianto's younger brother, increases the potential for conflict of interest. As head of the Task Force, Hashim will have exclusive access to primary data on the region, biomass, and carbon certification," he explained.

According to Firdaus Cahyadi, without a clear barrier, this access is prone to provide economic benefits to affiliated business entities. In addition, there is also a concern that the rules of the carbon trade game will be designed to facilitate large corporate business models, not really for the benefit of the environment and society.

"It is not impossible that this National Park Task Force will be an institution with minimal control because of Hashim's position as Prabowo Subianto's brother," said Firdaus.

Moreover, the ad hoc nature of the Task Force structure. The Task Force often works without strict parliamentary supervision. The potential for conflicts of interest will also have an impact on the increasing potential for green-grabbing or land grabbing in the name of green economy.

"The public must prevent the recurrence of the New Order regime's mistakes, dividing state concessions for the benefit of a handful of elites close to power," he said.