Prabowo sets one-year deadline to clean up Indonesia's waste problem

We must protect the natureJakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has set a target to resolve the country’s waste problem within one year, including ensuring that rivers and waterways are free of waste.

“Within a year, we must resolve the waste problem across Indonesia. All rivers must be clean, all waterways must be clean,” the President said during the inauguration of the revitalised Semarang Tawang Station in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday.

As quoted from an official statement by the Presidential Secretariat received in Jakarta, Prabowo said environmental cleanliness and nature conservation are vital to supporting the development of the national tourism sector.

In addition to addressing the waste problem, Prabowo called on local governments and the public to protect forests and prevent indiscriminate logging.

“We must protect nature. Trees must not be logged indiscriminately. If necessary, we need to plant hundreds of millions of new trees,” he said.

Prabowo also urged all governors, regents and mayors, as well as relevant agencies, to maintain cleanliness and preserve the environment in their respective regions.

“I urge all governors, regents, mayors and all agencies in their respective fields to preserve nature and maintain cleanliness,” he said.

According to Prabowo, a clean and beautiful environment is one of the key factors in boosting the appeal of tourism destinations across the country.

Prabowo inaugurated Semarang Tawang Station in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday, following its first major revitalisation by state railway operator PT KAI from May to December 2025.

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Translator: Fransiska Ninditya