Prabowo: First Time in History There Have Been Protests Against Efficiency
President Prabowo Subianto has expressed regret over demonstrations opposing his budget-cutting policies. He made the remarks whilst speaking at a business summit at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building in Washington D.C.
Before the forum's participants, the head of state acknowledged that his efficiency drive at the start of his presidency had not gone smoothly. Prabowo said the mass protests against budget cuts were the first of their kind in history. "In my view, this is probably the first time in world history that there have been demonstrations opposing government efficiency," Prabowo said in the United States on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.
The Gerindra Party chairman professed bewilderment at the motives behind the protests. He suggested that someone was financing the demonstrations against the budget-cutting decisions. "I don't know who is paying for those demonstrations, but it is quite sad," Prabowo said.
Despite the opposition, Prabowo remained steadfast in pursuing his austerity policies. He stated that he had cut inefficiencies from projects deemed unproductive. He claimed that in the first few months of his presidency, he had saved the state budget US$18 billion, equivalent to approximately Rp 304 trillion.
Prabowo explained that the savings were achieved in part by slashing budgets for anniversary celebrations across ministries and regional governments. "I said birthdays should be celebrated in the office, perhaps with a small lunch or packed meals, to maintain rationality," Prabowo said.
Beyond cutting expenditure on ceremonial activities, Prabowo stated he had also trimmed budgets for overseas official travel by government officials. He highlighted the numerous study tours that had led to budget waste. "We cut overseas travel costs from government institutions that ran into billions of dollars," Prabowo said.
Prabowo likened his governance reform and budget efficiency efforts in Indonesia to the initiative being undertaken in the United States through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "Perhaps this is similar to what is being pursued in the United States through DOGE. However, I must say that I started several months earlier, and I feel it has been successful," Prabowo said.
Previously, hundreds of students from various universities had taken to the streets to stage demonstrations in the Patung Kuda area of Central Jakarta on Monday, 17 February 2025. Titled "Indonesia Gelap" (Dark Indonesia), the protest organised by the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM SI) together with a civil society coalition emerged from public anxiety over the performance of the Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration.
Among the demands brought to the protest were structural and technical efficiency of the Red and White Cabinet; urging Prabowo to issue an emergency regulation on asset confiscation; rejection of revisions to the TNI, Police and Attorney General laws; a total evaluation of the Free Nutritious Meals programme; the creation of free education; rejection of the Mineral and Coal Mining Law revision; the abolition of the military's dual function in civilian sectors; and police reform.
One of the student organisations that joined the protests was the University of Indonesia (UI) Student Executive Board. They declared their opposition to the efficiency policy and budget cuts to ministries and institutions carried out by President Prabowo Subianto.
According to BEM UI chairman Iqbal Chiesa, these policies had further worsened conditions for the people. "We, the students of UI, feel anxious about the state of the nation lately — too many policies have been formed recklessly, too much suffering continues to be felt by the Indonesian people," Iqbal said in a video statement uploaded to BEM UI's official Instagram page on Saturday, 15 February 2025.
BEM UI demanded that Prabowo immediately revoke Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 1 of 2025, which mandated budget cuts, on the grounds that it was not in the people's interest. In addition, BEM UI put forward several other demands, including cancelling plans to grant campus institutions mining management permits and pressing for the immediate disbursement of lecturer performance allowances.
Before the forum's participants, the head of state acknowledged that his efficiency drive at the start of his presidency had not gone smoothly. Prabowo said the mass protests against budget cuts were the first of their kind in history. "In my view, this is probably the first time in world history that there have been demonstrations opposing government efficiency," Prabowo said in the United States on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.
The Gerindra Party chairman professed bewilderment at the motives behind the protests. He suggested that someone was financing the demonstrations against the budget-cutting decisions. "I don't know who is paying for those demonstrations, but it is quite sad," Prabowo said.
Despite the opposition, Prabowo remained steadfast in pursuing his austerity policies. He stated that he had cut inefficiencies from projects deemed unproductive. He claimed that in the first few months of his presidency, he had saved the state budget US$18 billion, equivalent to approximately Rp 304 trillion.
Prabowo explained that the savings were achieved in part by slashing budgets for anniversary celebrations across ministries and regional governments. "I said birthdays should be celebrated in the office, perhaps with a small lunch or packed meals, to maintain rationality," Prabowo said.
Beyond cutting expenditure on ceremonial activities, Prabowo stated he had also trimmed budgets for overseas official travel by government officials. He highlighted the numerous study tours that had led to budget waste. "We cut overseas travel costs from government institutions that ran into billions of dollars," Prabowo said.
Prabowo likened his governance reform and budget efficiency efforts in Indonesia to the initiative being undertaken in the United States through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "Perhaps this is similar to what is being pursued in the United States through DOGE. However, I must say that I started several months earlier, and I feel it has been successful," Prabowo said.
Previously, hundreds of students from various universities had taken to the streets to stage demonstrations in the Patung Kuda area of Central Jakarta on Monday, 17 February 2025. Titled "Indonesia Gelap" (Dark Indonesia), the protest organised by the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board (BEM SI) together with a civil society coalition emerged from public anxiety over the performance of the Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration.
Among the demands brought to the protest were structural and technical efficiency of the Red and White Cabinet; urging Prabowo to issue an emergency regulation on asset confiscation; rejection of revisions to the TNI, Police and Attorney General laws; a total evaluation of the Free Nutritious Meals programme; the creation of free education; rejection of the Mineral and Coal Mining Law revision; the abolition of the military's dual function in civilian sectors; and police reform.
One of the student organisations that joined the protests was the University of Indonesia (UI) Student Executive Board. They declared their opposition to the efficiency policy and budget cuts to ministries and institutions carried out by President Prabowo Subianto.
According to BEM UI chairman Iqbal Chiesa, these policies had further worsened conditions for the people. "We, the students of UI, feel anxious about the state of the nation lately — too many policies have been formed recklessly, too much suffering continues to be felt by the Indonesian people," Iqbal said in a video statement uploaded to BEM UI's official Instagram page on Saturday, 15 February 2025.
BEM UI demanded that Prabowo immediately revoke Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 1 of 2025, which mandated budget cuts, on the grounds that it was not in the people's interest. In addition, BEM UI put forward several other demands, including cancelling plans to grant campus institutions mining management permits and pressing for the immediate disbursement of lecturer performance allowances.