Prabowo asks for garbage problems to be reduced in a year

President Prabowo Subianto asked that the waste problem throughout Indonesia be resolved within one year. (Photo: Cahyo - Presidential Secretariat Press, Media, and Information Bureau)

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto asked that the problem of waste throughout Indonesia be resolved within one year. He assessed that the cleanliness of cities, rivers, and the environment is an important requirement if Indonesia wants to attract more tourists.

Prabowo made the statement when he inaugurated the revitalization of the Semarang Tawang Station Cultural Heritage in Semarang, Thursday, July 30.

Prabowo initially spoke about the importance of tourism for the people's economy. According to the President, one foreign tourist who comes to Indonesia can move many economic chains, from farmers, logistics players, processors, packers, to sellers in restaurants and cafes.

"One foreign tourist comes to our country, drinks a cup of coffee, and a coffee farmer lives," said Prabowo.

He said that one tourist could even bring 10 to 15 people. Therefore, the area must maintain the attraction of tourism, ranging from culture, natural beauty, to the atmosphere of the city.

However, Prabowo emphasized that tourism is not enough to rely on historical buildings and beautiful nature. The city must also be clean.

"That's why waste is our priority," he said.

Prabowo asked governors, regents, mayors, and all institutions to maintain cleanliness in their respective regions. He also asked rivers and streams to be cleaned.

"In this one year we have to solve the problem of garbage throughout Indonesia. All rivers must be clean, all rivers must be clean," said Prabowo.

In addition to garbage, Prabowo highlighted the importance of preserving nature. He asked that trees not be cut down indiscriminately. If necessary, Indonesia will plant hundreds of millions of new trees.

Prabowo also touched on the aesthetics of buildings. He said Indonesia needed to maintain the face of cities and villages so that they look more beautiful, clean, and well-maintained.

He even highlighted the use of zinc which is easily rusted. According to Prabowo, rust and a number of certain building materials can have a negative impact on health.

"This iron quickly rusts. This rust is not good for health," he said.

Prabowo associated the message with the revitalization of stations by KAI. According to him, efforts to improve hundreds of stations should not be considered trivial because they can be an attraction for tourists.

He said people come to Central Java to see Borobudur, to Yogyakarta to see Prambanan, and can come to various areas because of history and culture.

For Prabowo, cleanliness, preservation of old buildings, and transportation services must go hand in hand. He wants Indonesia's face to change to be cleaner, more beautiful, and more comfortable.

"There should be no garbage that is wild. There should be no unmaintained buildings. There should be no rust anywhere," said Prabowo.