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 people’s welfare, and that his administration will continue to listen to and respond to issues felt by the community. “We have listened to the President’s speech. The essence is that we must work hard for the people. This means we must always listen to what our community feels,” he said in Semarang on Friday. He made the statement after attending the Central Java Provincial DPRD Plenary Meeting, which included listening to President Prabowo Subianto’s State Address in commemoration of the 81st Anniversary of Indonesian Independence. In his speech at the Annual Session of the MPR RI and the Joint Session of the DPR RI-DPD RI, the President outlined a number of achievements and the direction of national development. These included the implementation of the free nutritious meal programme, road and bridge construction, education, social protection, and strengthening food self-sufficiency. The President also stressed the importance of food independence so that Indonesia does not depend on external supplies, especially amid global uncertainty. Currently, Indonesia has 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 actions from regional governments, so that the benchmark for development success is not merely numerical targets but benefits genuinely felt by the public. In the context of Central Java, he said the momentum of the 81st Anniversary of Indonesian 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, reaching 9.21 per cent in March 2026, down from 9.48 per cent in March 2025. Consequently, his administration is giving full attention to the approximately 3.9 million residents in the first to fourth decile groups. On the economic front, Central Java’s economic growth was recorded at 5.71 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, or 5.80 per cent cumulatively in the first half of 2026. This figure is above the national economic growth rate, keeping the provincial government optimistic despite facing fiscal constraints and geopolitical uncertainty. Alongside this, investment activity in Central Java is also showing 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, employing more than 200,000 workers. The various achievements in poverty reduction, economic growth, investment, and employment must continue to be improved, requiring alignment between regional government, central government, and the DPRD.