Prabowo Acknowledges 'Debt' to NTB Residents, Inaugurates Five Dams Worth IDR 9.79 Trillion
President Prabowo Subianto expressed pride in meeting the people of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) during the inauguration of the Meninting Dam in Bukit Tinggi Village, Gunungsari District, West Lombok, on Friday (10/7/2026). Prabowo voiced his appreciation for the loyalty of NTB residents, noting that they consistently supported him despite his defeats in the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections. He admitted he feels a great debt to them.
‘I feel honoured to be invited here today. To meet directly with the people of NTB. Coincidentally, they are the ones who have always supported me,’ Prabowo said during the inauguration of the Meninting Dam.
Prabowo stated that he still owes a great deal to the people of NTB. ‘I feel I still have a lot of debt to the people of NTB. Don’t worry, we still have a few years left,’ said the Gerindra Party Chairman.
He emphasised that national development is a long struggle that cannot be completed in just one or two years. ‘It takes decades. This dam itself dates back to 2019. So development like this requires time, cost, and resources. I am grateful that I could be the one to inaugurate this dam,’ Prabowo said.
He acknowledged that all his predecessors were extraordinary, and therefore national leaders must think about the good of all Indonesian people. ‘Regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or background. Coincidentally, I enjoy studying history. That is my hobby. I have never stopped doing so to this day,’ he added.
Prabowo inaugurated five dams simultaneously, including the Meninting Dam in West Lombok, the Jelantah Dam in Surakarta, the Sidan Dam in Gianyar, Bali, the Keureuto Dam in North Aceh, and the Rukoh Dam in Pidie, Aceh. He revealed that the five dams inaugurated today cost a total of IDR 9.79 trillion.
‘Just imagine, these five dams we are inaugurating, with their advanced technology, will produce 1 million tonnes of rice per year,’ Prabowo said on Friday. From these five dams, the government can save up to IDR 170 trillion in state funds. ‘Imagine how many buildings we can construct each year with that. This is your achievement,’ Prabowo concluded.