Indonesia's food security push and Prabowo inaugurates dams

President Prabowo Subianto is optimistic that Indonesia can become a global food basket as national food production increases, opening up export opportunities to various countries. In a speech during the inauguration of the Meninting Dam in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday, President Prabowo stated that Indonesia has shown significant progress in the food sector, shifting from previously relying on imports to now beginning to export various food commodities.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto is optimistic that the Indonesian economy will strengthen again in the third and fourth quarters of 2026. ‘We will see later, heading into the third and fourth quarters, the economy will rise again,’ Airlangga said when met at his office in Jakarta on Friday.

The Ministry of Public Works stated that the Meninting Dam in West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, supplies a raw water source of 0.15 cubic metres per second for around 100,000 people. ‘From water scarcity during the dry season to a raw water reserve of 0.15 cubic metres per second, this increases the drinking water service coverage to approximately 100,000 people,’ said Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo during a working visit to the Meninting Dam on Friday.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has granted an additional coal production quota to meet the operational needs of state electricity company PT PLN (Persero). ‘For coal, the additional quota is only for PLN,’ said Director General of Mineral and Coal Tri Winarno when met at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources office in Jakarta on Friday.

President Prabowo Subianto simultaneously inaugurated five dams in five regions of Indonesia in a ceremony centred at the Meninting Dam, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday afternoon. ‘Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. On this Friday afternoon, 10 July 2026, by the grace of Almighty God, I, Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, hereby inaugurate the Meninting Dam in West Nusa Tenggara Province, the Rukoh and Keureuto Dams in Aceh Province, the Jlantah Dam in Central Java Province, and the Sidan Dam in Bali Province,’ Prabowo said during the event, monitored via a live stream on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.