In the DPR, Prabowo says Indonesia's status was once placed below that of a dog

President Prabowo Subianto said that the founders of the nation felt that Indonesia had been treated with contempt by colonisers, even that its dignity was below that of a dog. He stated this at the 19th plenary session of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday, 20 May. Prabowo began by explaining that Indonesia’s economic management had, in fact, been formulated by the founders of the nation. He said the founders were not naive people. “They felt oppression, they felt colonised, they felt insulted, enslaved, they felt the theft of the nation’s honour, dignity and identity,” he said. He added that the founders witnessed and felt the removal of all honour and confidence in the nation, its culture, and its history. “They felt what imperialism meant. They felt the Indonesian nation was placed at a rank below a dog,” he said. Prabowo noted that the founders saw and felt the archipelago’s wealth had for centuries been taken by colonisers to enrich them. “We should not be too proud of a nation rich from looting the wealth of others,” Prabowo said. Prabowo’s address to the DPR plenary today outlined the Macro Economic Framework and the Core Fiscal Policy Guidelines (KEMPPKF) for the 2027 Budget Year. In his speech, the president targets economic growth of 5.8 per cent to 6.5 per cent in 2027. Under the basic assumptions of the KEM PPKF for the 2027 APBN, the government also targets inflation in the range of 1.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent. On the exchange rate, the rupiah is targeted to be in the range of Rp16,800 to Rp17,500 per US dollar. “Our fiscal and monetary strategy must be capable of keeping our exchange rate stable against world currencies,” Prabowo said. Regarding the APBN, next year the government targets government revenue at around 11.82 to 12.40 per cent of GDP, government expenditure 13.62 to 14.80 per cent of GDP, and a deficit kept in the range of 1.8 to 2.4 per cent of GDP. “We will continue to strive to curb and narrow the deficit,” Prabowo said. This is the president’s first time outlining the KEMPPKF RAPBN in front of the DPR. The new tradition is being conducted amid volatility in the rupiah’s exchange rate against the dollar and the decline in the JCI.