Prabowo Urges Delay to Office Construction: No Grandiose Offices Without Real Productivity

Prabowo said at the shrimp harvest festival in Kebumen, Central Java, on Saturday, 23 May 2026: “Later, in the coming months, we will accelerate the process of productive development; everything productive we will promote.” He added, “Productive means it must generate added value. I am giving instructions to the cabinet on whom we can support; what we must implement are productive projects.” He argued that the main measure of productive development is how directly the projects benefit the people and the national economy. He said, “What is the productive limit? Creating jobs for our people. Secondly, generating added value, increasing the wealth of the Indonesian nation, increasing the incomes of our people—that is what productive means.” He also reminded that development should not focus solely on physical projects with administrative aims, such as grand office buildings that have little real economic impact on society. Prabowo judged that the quality of outcomes and economic benefits is far more important than the luxury of facilities. “So, sorry, we will now suspend the construction of many offices, offices, offices. An office is, of course, necessary, but there must not be offices without productivity, right? A grand office whose product does not exist—it’s better that the office isn’t too fancy but its product is good, the results are many, and the people’s incomes are high. Our people need jobs,” he said. (eva/idh)