Coordinating Minister Zulhas Reveals Prabowo's Concern Over Unresolved Waste Mountains: Only Two Road Projects in 11 Years
The national waste issue is now under serious scrutiny by President Prabowo Subianto. The government views the unresolved waste management crisis as a major irony amid Indonesia’s ambitions to become a developed nation.
Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) disclosed President Prabowo’s direct anxiety regarding the environmental conditions in various regions still plagued by mountains of rubbish.
According to him, Prabowo questioned why this fundamental problem has not been resolved for decades.
“Everywhere there is rubbish, the President is worried. If we want to become a great and advanced nation, how can we not manage waste properly,” said Zulhas while attending the declaration of the Waste Sorting Movement in the Rasuna Said area, South Jakarta, on Sunday, 10 May 2026.
That statement serves as a strong signal from the government regarding the stagnation of the national waste management system. Amid advancements in modern waste processing technology, implementation on the ground is deemed hampered by convoluted bureaucracy.
Zulhas revealed that in the last 11 years, only two modern waste processing projects have successfully obtained permits. Ironically, one project is said to have failed to operate, while the other runs unstably due to various administrative obstacles.
“On one occasion in a limited meeting (ratas) attended by many ministers, the president asked why after 80 years the waste issue is still unresolved. And indeed, in the last 11 years technology has advanced a lot, but in the last 11 years waste management permits have only been completed for two. 11 years (only) two. And even then, one couldn’t operate, the other sometimes runs sometimes not, on-off. That’s 11 years,” Zulhas stated.
This condition is seen as a major obstacle to efforts to transform cities in Indonesia towards a modern and sustainable environmental management system.
The government has finally taken drastic steps by issuing Presidential Regulation No. 109 of 2025 to cut the permitting chain for waste processing projects.
According to Zulhas, the new regulation was drafted so that waste processing projects are no longer hindered by lengthy inter-ministerial and regional government processes.
“Therefore, in 11 years only two. Then Perpres 109 was born. I was asked to chair the team, with Mr Jumhur (Minister of Environment Jumhur Hidayat) as the daily executor because it’s his field of environment. But since this is cross-sectoral, involving governors, regents, and related ministries, we streamlined it. Alhamdulillah, Mr Pramono Anung (Governor of DKI Jakarta) has already signed. Already 71 cities, we will complete it,” said Zulhas.