Chatib Basri Meets Prabowo at Palace, Dasco Reveals Reason

House Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad stated that Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Chatib Basri visited the Presidential Palace on Tuesday purely to provide input to President Prabowo Subianto regarding economic growth. ‘The meeting was purely about providing input on how to increase economic growth. I have confirmed there were no other discussions,’ Dasco said at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta. Dasco was responding to journalists’ questions about Chatib Basri’s arrival at the Palace amidst rumours of Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa’s resignation. According to him, based on the confirmation he received, Chatib and Luhut met the President in their capacity as part of the National Economic Council (DEN). ‘In the past couple of days, there have been rumours whose sources of truth cannot be accounted for, but I have confirmed that today’s meeting was purely about receiving input from the DEN, which is chaired by Mr Luhut with Mr Chatib Basri as a member,’ Dasco stated. Dasco explained that the DEN provided the President with input regarding economic growth strategies, as additional considerations for taking steps deemed necessary by President Prabowo. ‘This positive input is, in my opinion, valuable advice for the President for our economic growth,’ he said. Earlier, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Chatib Basri arrived together at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta around 3.30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time. Both were tight-lipped when asked about the agenda of the meeting with the Head of State. Nevertheless, Chatib confirmed that he visited the Palace to fulfil the President’s summons.