Prabowo Assures Economic Census Not for Pursuing Personal Wealth, Urges Honest Participation

President Prabowo Subianto has called on all elements of society to complete the economic census with complete honesty, guaranteeing that the data will not be used to pursue personal wealth or income. Speaking during the presentation of the 2027 State Budget Draft (RAPBN) at the MPR/DPR building in Jakarta on Friday (14/8/2026), Prabowo highlighted the critical link between the state budget figures and the quality of data collected by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

“The figures of our state budget are heavily dependent on our macroeconomic data. Our macroeconomic data is heavily dependent on the quality of data collected by our Central Statistics Agency,” Prabowo stated. He noted that Indonesia has not conducted a rebasing of its economic calculations for over a decade, making the current census vital for accurately measuring economic activity.

Prabowo revealed that 251,000 census officers have been deployed to villages across the country to conduct the survey, which runs until the end of August 2026. He urged not only the public but also parliamentary representatives to encourage honest participation. “I ask that you fill out the census forms as honestly as possible and also encourage everyone around you to do the same,” he said.

The President explained that the data would be used to formulate more precise policies and budgets, including the calculation of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He provided an example from the 2027 RAPBN, where the GDP is assumed to be Rp 27,987 trillion, resulting in a deficit of 2.40 percent. He also announced that the results of the 2026 economic census would be used to update the National Single Social and Economic Data (DTSEN), a crucial tool for targeted policy-making.