Central Java Governor: Development Must Lead to People's Welfare
Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi has emphasised that all development programmes and achievements in the region must lead to the welfare of the people, and that his administration will continue to listen to and respond to the issues felt by the public.
“We have listened to the President’s speech. In essence, we must work hard for the people. This means we must always listen to what our communities are feeling,” he said in Semarang on Friday.
He made the remarks after attending a plenary session of the Central Java Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD), which was convened to hear President Prabowo Subianto’s state address in commemoration of the 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence.
In his speech at the Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), the President outlined a number of achievements and the direction of national development.
These included the implementation of the free nutritious meals programme, road and bridge construction, education, social protection, and the strengthening of food self-sufficiency.
The President also stressed the importance of food independence so that Indonesia does not depend on external supplies, particularly amid global uncertainty.
Indonesia has now achieved self-sufficiency in eight strategic food commodities: rice, maize, consumption sugar, large chillies, bird’s eye chillies, chicken meat, chicken eggs, and shallots.
According to Luthfi, the various achievements presented by the President must be followed by concrete action from regional governments, so that the benchmark for development success is not merely statistical figures but the benefits genuinely felt by the public.
In the context of Central Java, he said, the momentum of the 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence, which coincides with the 81st anniversary of Central Java Province, serves as a reminder to continue improving development outcomes.
He noted that the poverty rate in Central Java has declined, falling to 9.21 percent in March 2026, down from 9.48 percent in March 2025.
For this reason, his administration is giving full attention to around 3.9 million residents who fall within the first to fourth decile groups.
On the economic front, Central Java’s economic growth was recorded at 5.71 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2026, or 5.80 percent cumulatively in the first half of 2026.
This figure is above the national economic growth rate, which has kept the provincial government optimistic despite facing fiscal constraints and geopolitical uncertainty.
Alongside this, investment activity in Central Java has also shown a positive trend, with realised investment reaching approximately Rp110 trillion and absorbing 257,000 workers throughout 2025.
Meanwhile, up to the second quarter or first half of 2026, realised investment has reached approximately Rp48.54 trillion, with employment absorption exceeding 200,000 workers.
The various achievements in poverty reduction, economic growth, investment, and employment absorption, he said, must continue to be improved, requiring alignment between regional government, central government, and the DPRD.