Prabowo: Indonesia Must Not Be Defined by Dependence

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that Indonesia will continue to strive to stand on its own feet, especially in the midst of the current global uncertainty.

In his statement to The Economist, Prabowo said that Indonesia is currently in the midst of a difficult and uncertain global situation. He said that wars and geopolitical tensions had increased the volatility of energy, food, and financial markets around the world.

However, he assessed that this is the right momentum for Indonesia to start directing development towards national independence.

"These uncertain times require common sense, common sense to support and advance our people and economy," said Prabowo as quoted on Thursday, June 11.

Prabowo added that Indonesia has carried out various efforts to safeguard national interests amid global turmoil.

He said that the government had strengthened fiscal discipline by cutting non-essential budgets by more than Rp300 trillion, strengthening tax digitization, improving export governance, eradicating smuggling, and maintaining the deficit discipline of the State Budget (APBN).

In addition, he said that the government is committed to continuing to invest in strengthening Indonesia's sovereignty and long-term resilience.

In this case, Prabowo said that Indonesia is trying to implement the B50 program, expand the use of renewable energy, build new refineries, and strengthen strategic fuel reserves to reduce dependence on energy imports.

Even in the midst of global turmoil, Indonesia's economic growth remained resilient, reaching 5.61 percent on an annual basis in the first quarter of 2026. In addition, he also highlighted that Indonesia's fiscal deficit ratio remained below 3 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) amid various global shocks.

"Indonesia remains resilient. In the first quarter of 2026, Indonesia recorded the second highest economic growth among G20 countries after India. Our budget deficit remains below 3 percent of GDP, while the debt-to-GDP ratio is much lower than many developed countries," he explained.

He admitted that the national transformation would face great challenges. In fact, according to him, history teaches that no large-scale national transformation is perfect.

However, Prabowo said that these efforts need to be carried out so that Indonesia can reach its maximum potential and not depend on others.

"We are determined that this country will no longer be defined by doubt, dependence, or unsatisfactory performance," he concluded.