Prabowo Says Many Countries Envious of Indonesia, Launches B50 Biodiesel Programme

President Prabowo Subianto stated that many countries are envious of Indonesia. He made the remarks during a speech at the launch of the B50 biodiesel programme in Karawang, West Java, on Thursday, 9 July 2026. In his address, Prabowo said the world is full of competition. “Many countries are envious of us, many countries hate us,” said the Gerindra Party chairman. According to Prabowo, the Indonesian nation has never hated others. Yet, he said, many parties are jealous and envious. “They want to mess with us, badmouth us,” he stated. Prabowo said this hatred is visible, including on social media. He touched on narratives that once circulated online, such as the ‘Indonesia Gelap’ (Dark Indonesia) hashtag and claims that Indonesia would descend into chaos or collapse. He noted that these narratives were also used by fellow Indonesians. Therefore, Prabowo urged the public to be vigilant. “They hoped for collapse, imagine, our own people hoping for collapse,” the former defence minister said. On the other hand, Prabowo claimed the world is beginning to recognise Indonesia’s successes. “I was surprised myself, world figures are talking about Indonesia. How did Indonesia succeed, how is Indonesia not panicking, how did Indonesia not raise fuel prices for ordinary people,” he said. During the same event, Prabowo launched the B50 Biodiesel programme. The B50 scheme mandates a 50 percent blend of palm oil-based biodiesel into diesel fuel sold in Indonesia. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said the policy will reduce Indonesia’s dependence on diesel imports. “With the implementation of B50, alhamdulillah, we will no longer import diesel products into our country,” Bahlil said. According to Bahlil, Indonesia’s average diesel consumption is 38 to 40 million kilolitres per year. To meet this demand, Indonesia has been importing around 3 to 4 million kilolitres of diesel annually. He stated that the 50 percent blend will reduce the need for pure diesel, and that domestic production volume is now considered capable of independently meeting all domestic market needs. Bahlil said the government conducted a six-month trial of B50 Biodiesel before the public launch. The trial covered six sectors using diesel engines: automotive, agricultural machinery, heavy mining equipment, marine transportation, power generation, and railways.