Indonesia to launch massive tree-planting drive, Prabowo says
..I need high-quality tree seedlings for every city and regency,Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto has instructed the agriculture and forestry ministers to prepare high-quality tree seedlings for distribution to cities and regencies nationwide as part of efforts to create a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable environment.
Speaking during a mass signing ceremony for 62,000 subsidized home mortgages (KPR) in Batang, Central Java, on Thursday, Prabowo stressed that national development should not focus solely on downstream industrialization and food security, but must also prioritize environmental protection.
“If tree cover has declined significantly, then we must plant hundreds of millions of trees. I ask the agriculture minister and the forestry minister to establish nurseries. I need high-quality tree seedlings for every city and regency,” Prabowo said, according to a live broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat monitored from Jakarta.
The President said the decline in tree cover across various regions should be addressed through a large-scale tree-planting campaign.
He also emphasized that residential development should go beyond building houses by creating green, well-planned, and livable communities.
In addition to expanding green spaces, Prabowo called on all government institutions, including the Indonesian Military (TNI), to actively support environmental improvement efforts.
He instructed the TNI commander to assess the availability of heavy equipment manufactured by state-owned defense company PT Pindad, including excavators, for distribution to regencies that need them.
According to Prabowo, providing high-quality tree seedlings, heavy equipment, and ensuring the active participation of all stakeholders will be key to creating greener, cleaner, and more livable cities and regencies as part of Indonesia’s sustainable development agenda.
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Translator: Maria, Azis Kurmala