Prabowo Urges Officials to Pursue Productive Projects That Create Added Value

Jakarta — President Prabowo Subianto has ordered his colleagues in the Red-White Cabinet to pursue productive projects that generate added value in order to ensure the welfare of Indonesians. He said the government is currently building a number of production zones for fisheries commodities not only to ensure the population’s needs are met but also to enable exports that earn foreign exchange for the country. ‘I believe that in the coming months we will accelerate the process of productive development,’ Prabowo said while watching the large-scale shrimp harvest at the Kebumen-based integrated shrimp farming complex in Central Java, which was viewed online from Jakarta on Saturday. The President explained that productive development means running programmes or projects that generate added value. The Kebumen-based shrimp farming complex not only has the potential to produce 40 tonnes of shrimp per hectare, but has also absorbed 650 workers from the local area. ‘I am giving directions to the cabinet—those we can support, those we must support, and those we must implement—that they are productive projects,’ Prabowo said. As an example, Prabowo noted that the government is currently building an integrated shrimp pond area in Waingapu, East Nusa Tenggara, and revitalising fish ponds in West Java. The President said productive projects are those that create jobs for the people, generate added value and increase the nation’s wealth and people’s incomes. Consequently, the government is currently delaying projects centred on erecting lavish offices. Prabowo stressed that many grand office buildings bear no direct relation to productivity. ‘A grand office is of no use if there is no product. It is better for the office to be not so grand but the products are good, the outputs are many, and the people’s earnings are high. Our people need jobs,’ he said.