Prabowo's Pancasila speech alludes to the people's economy

President Prabowo touched on the people's economy on the birthday of Pancasila. (Photo: Cahyo/Presidential Secretariat Press Office)

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto used the Pancasila Birthday speech to criticize the national economic development policy which he considered should be more in favor of the people.

At the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta, Monday (1/6), Prabowo not only talked about national unity. He placed Pancasila as the basis for building a national economic system.

"Pancasila is not just a historical document. Pancasila is a guideline for regulating the life of a nation, community, and state, including how we build a national economic system," said Prabowo.

He said that Indonesia's biggest challenge today is to ensure that economic growth runs in accordance with the values of Pancasila.

In his speech, Prabowo admitted that Indonesia's economy had indeed grown over the past decades. However, he questioned whether the growth had really been felt by the people fairly.

Prabowo also touched on Indonesia's natural wealth, which has been considered not to have fully benefited the people. According to him, for too long the added value of natural resources has been enjoyed more abroad.

"For too long our people have only been spectators over their own national wealth," he said.

Therefore, the government will carry out national economic transformation through the downstreaming of natural resources, strengthening cooperatives, rural economy, food security, and improving governance so that state wealth does not continue to leak.

Prabowo said that development should not only produce statistical figures. Farmers, fishermen, workers, small businesses, and children from poor families must be the parties who feel the results of development.

"Economic growth must be accompanied by equality," said the President. Prabowo also signaled that the agenda would not be easy. He said the government was likely to face resistance from groups that enjoyed corruption, smuggling, and illegal economic practices.