Prabowo: Delay Building Many New Government Offices for Now
President Prabowo Subianto has urged government agencies to delay the construction of new buildings. He said new offices that are not urgently needed should not be rushed. The chairman of the Gerindra Party said the state must focus on increasing the wealth of the people. He added that government work must be productive.
‘So, apologies, we are now somewhat postponing the construction of many offices, offices, offices. An office is needed, but there should be no office if there is no productivity,’ Prabowo said during a speech at a prawn harvest festival in Kebumen, Central Java, on Saturday, 23 May 2026, as broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat.
The former defence minister said the country should be able to add value to the people even without grand offices. ‘Right? A grand office but no output. It is better that the office is not so grand, but the product is good. The outcome is plentiful,’ he said.
Prabowo said people need income and jobs more. Therefore, he asked his colleagues to postpone building new offices if not urgent.
Prabowo attended the prawn harvest festival in Kebumen, Central Java, with several ministers. Prabowo, wearing a brown safari shirt and dark blue hat, helped cast a net thrown by a cage fisherman. He was assisted by several people as he hauled the net. After harvesting a net full of vannamei shrimp, also known as white-legged shrimp, Prabowo continued the event with a speech at a tent set up near the location.
Prabowo said the region-based shrimp farming ponds in Kebumen are a project that has been ongoing for three years. The pond was inaugurated by former president Joko Widodo and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo on 9 March 2023.
‘Today I am here to witness the harvest of this project’s shrimp, which has been ongoing for three years and the harvest now is of the world’s top level,’ Prabowo said.
Prabowo estimated that one hectare of pond there could yield up to forty tonnes of shrimp. He described that level of production as an extraordinary achievement.
He projected that one hectare could generate billions of rupiah per harvest. ‘With a very good price, it is Rp 70,000 per kilogram at minimum, which means Rp 70 million per ton,’ Prabowo said.