Prabowo Blasts Concession Holders in Mining and Plantations for Storing Wealth Abroad

Jakarta – President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto has taken a swipe at businesspeople who fail to show loyalty to the Indonesian nation. Despite being granted mining concessions, plantation concessions, and credit facilities from state-owned banks, the proceeds from their businesses are not placed in Indonesia. Prabowo made these remarks during his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for 13 National Downstreaming Projects Phase II in Cilacap, Central Java, on Wednesday, 29 April 2026. “We give mining concessions, we give plantation concessions, we also provide credit from government banks, banks owned by the people, but when they succeed, their business results are not placed in Indonesia,” said Prabowo. Prabowo assessed that such practices cannot be allowed to continue as they are completely contrary to the spirit of nationalism and the ideals of downstreaming, which aim for the added value of natural resources to be enjoyed by the Indonesian nation and people themselves. “As a mandate holder, as one entrusted by the Indonesian people, I also do not want to continue such things,” he explained. Prabowo stressed that his government will not tolerate parties that are not patriotic, those who instead use the nation’s intelligence and wealth to enrich outsiders. “Do not use your cleverness to enrich other nations. We do not hate other nations, we do not want our people to remain poor because our money is taken abroad,” stated Prabowo. Prabowo further emphasised that only those who truly defend the Indonesian nation and people deserve to be in his government’s ranks. “Choose: defend your people or serve others. I will not tolerate those who are not patriotic. No matter how clever you are, if you do not defend your own nation, there is no place for you around me,” he concluded.