President Prabowo Highlights 108 Resolved Issues, Addresses Criticism Ahead of Two-Year Government Mark
President Prabowo Subianto convened a full cabinet session ahead of two years of his government. Prabowo issued directives and evaluations of the programmes and performance within his cabinet.
The plenary cabinet session was held at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday (20/7/2026). The meeting was attended by numerous ministers as well as heads of agencies.
“Today I deliberately convened the mid-year 2026 plenary cabinet session ahead of 17 August 2026, when, by tradition, the President of the Republic of Indonesia delivers an address several days before 17 August to tell the entire nation and state what has been accomplished over one year of work. This also comes as we approach, without quite realising how quickly time has passed, the stage of carrying out the people’s mandate in our second year,” Prabowo said in his opening remarks at the cabinet session.
According to Prabowo, approaching two years of his leadership, he and the entire Red-and-White cabinet have been working extremely hard. He said the packed government agenda meant the entire cabinet sometimes failed to realise how many achievements had been secured.
“Friends, we are holding this plenary cabinet session to evaluate what we have done. I, we — not just you, but I myself — approaching two years, we have been working very hard and very intensively,” he said.
Nevertheless, Prabowo acknowledged that the government still faces various challenges. He stressed that the evaluation was not intended to find fault or to draw comparisons with the previous administration.
“Sometimes, when we work hard and so intensively, we ourselves do not fully realise how much we have achieved in our first two years, because we face enormous problems, we face a world full of turmoil,” he continued.
“And we face bitter realities that we must acknowledge as our shared challenges. We do not intend to look for fault, we do not intend to make comparisons. Every era has its government, and every government has its era,” he added.
The following are a number of Prabowo’s directives and evaluations during the cabinet session:
- More than 108 problems resolved
Prabowo Subianto said more than 108 problems in the country have already been resolved. Even so, he did not wish to be boastful about what his government has achieved.
“Our latest count is perhaps more than 108 problems, 110 problems that we have resolved in a little over a year, in 18 months of our government. This is no small achievement. We remain humble, we do not want to thump our chests, we must not be arrogant or conceited — that is the character of our nation,” Prabowo said.
“But if we have achieved something, we must acknowledge it. No other nation will respect us if we do not respect our own nation,” he continued.
- Urges his team not to waver
Prabowo said the government received a mandate from the people to confront and resolve the nation’s various problems. He therefore asked the entire cabinet not to waver in facing existing challenges.
“We were given a mandate by the people to confront and resolve problems, so we must not fear problems, we must not fear difficulties, we must not fear shortcomings. We understand — the whole nation understands — that our teachers’ salaries are insufficient, that job opportunities are lacking, that extreme poverty still exists. We understand, we understand all our problems,” he said.
Prabowo said he had discovered several problems far larger than anticipated. One of these was the leakage of state wealth.
“We understand that this is precisely what we chose to be given a mandate to resolve. We know there are inequalities in our society, but frankly, I must say — everywhere, I myself, as President, as one sworn in together with our Vice President — I truly did not anticipate that some problems would be so far beyond our expectations,” he said.
“There has been a distortion of our economy. Our wealth has flowed out significantly — thousands of trillions, hundreds of billions of dollars every year — through under-invoicing practices, falsified trade reports, smuggling practices, things that are irrational and unjust for our nation,” he said.
These findings form part of the data of international institutions, including the United Nations. He cited, for example, that Indonesia once experienced a cooking oil shortage lasting several weeks, which he considered irrational.
“This is not our data, this is data from international institutions, data from the UN. But the entire nation has already felt it, all economic actors at home and abroad understand it. Everyone knows that the world’s palm oil-producing country was for weeks left without cooking oil — something that defies reason,” he said.
Prabowo judged that the government has resolved many problems over the past 18 months. He promised to settle the remaining issues.
“That is why I remind you that we were given a mandate to solve problems, and we should be proud that over this period we have indeed resolved many problems and difficulties,” he said.
- Puzzled that the free meals programme is questioned
Prabowo admitted he was puzzled by cynics criticising the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, whilst the leakage of state wealth worth thousands of trillions over decades has drawn little scrutiny.
“Every economy is measured, and we have our measures. We ask whether a nation can provide food, can feed its people — that is the yardstick. What is the point of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia if we cannot provide the most fundamental basis of a civilisation, which is providing food and sustenance?” Prabowo said.
“If clever people claim there are things more important than an empty stomach, then please, go ahead. What I know from thousands of years of human history is that no society has survived without food. Civilisations perish if they do not eat,” he continued.
- Working to keep food prices under control
Prabowo is working to ensure food prices remain under control and that fertiliser is available at affordable prices for farmers. All of this, he said, is being delivered in tandem through the MBG programme.
“We ask now: are food prices under control? Is fertiliser available to farmers at affordable prices? We ask whether schools are receiving nutritious food at school,” he said.
Prabowo then highlighted the criticism continually directed at the government over the implementation of the MBG programme. According to him, the programme actually targets those most in need.
“Friends, I am attacked for wanting to provide nutritious food for Indonesian children, for wanting to feed Indonesian children, pregnant mothers, and the elderly, and it is regarded as wasteful,” he said.
- Confident Indonesia is growing stronger
Prabowo expressed confidence that Indonesia’s condition today is growing stronger. He refuted various predictions that Indonesia would collapse.
“‘This month it will collapse, this month it will collapse, this month it will collapse’ — instead, it grows stronger by the day, even as the world is at war,” he said.
He emphasised that Indonesia is becoming stronger amid a global crisis. Prabowo touched on food problems in various countries that are beginning to worry, whilst Indonesia has already achieved self-sufficiency. Likewise in the energy sector, he said, Indonesia is better prepared than other nations.
“Many countries feel anxious and panicked about food issues, but we have already achieved food self-sufficiency. On energy, we face difficulties too, but we are more prepared than others. This must not make us complacent or easily satisfied — absolutely not,” he concluded.
- No selective enforcement in the fight against corruption
Prabowo stressed that the government will not be selective in cracking down on all forms of misconduct. According to him, corruption and irregularities must be eradicated firmly.
“We are saddened that there are rogue elements, individuals seeking personal wealth from such a large undertaking or enterprise, but what can one do. If it is indeed a disease, we must, with sorrow, take action against it,” he said.
Prabowo assured that the government will continue to eradicate misconduct without discriminating among the perpetrators. He likened handling corruption to treating cancer.
“And we will continue to act. Again, I have said many times that we will show no favouritism. We will not be selective. We will not fail to act against misconduct. Of course, we sometimes need wisdom — the right timing, when, where, and how,” he said.
“Because we want to make Indonesia’s body healthy. If someone has cancer, one shortcut would be simply to cut off the arm, cut off the leg, would it not? But perhaps with precision, therapy, technology, we can do so without excessively damaging the body. Likewise — I have learned that a nation’s economy is like our own body,” he continued.
According to Prabowo, the nation’s economy resembles the human body, whose health must be maintained. Therefore, corruption and all forms of economic manipulation must be eradicated so as not to damage the foundations of the national economy.
“If we look after our bodies well, our bodies will be healthy. It is the same. If the economic body is well cared for, it will be healthy. But if it is poisoned with mark-ups, corruption, fraud, under-invoicing, transfer pricing, and all sorts of scheming between bureaucrats and businessmen — where banks channel credit only to the same few people — then it is damaged, it is sick. And this is what we are now repairing,” he said.
- Pushing for the Single National Identity Card to be realised
Prabowo reaffirmed his commitment to accelerating bureaucratic reform through regulatory simplification and the digitalisation of government services. He called for the accelerated implementation of the Single National Identity Card as part of the transformation of governance.
Prabowo initially said Indonesia is on the right track in its development, but still needs to carry out evaluations to improve government effectiveness.
“We are confident we are heading in the right direction, but we also remain vigilant. We correct ourselves; we know our efficiency is still lacking. Our regulations are too many, our rules are too many,” Prabowo said.
As a corrective step, Prabowo stressed the importance of simplifying the bureaucracy through the use of digital technology. The government, he said, is pioneering the digitalisation of governance through GovTech and various other digital transformation programmes.
“I affirm here that we must simplify government. We will begin implementing — or have already begun pioneering — the digitalisation of government, with GovTech and other programmes,” he said.
Prabowo also expressed hope that the implementation of the Single National Identity Card can be realised soon, so that public services become more integrated, efficient, and accessible to the public.
“I hope the single national identity card can be executed and implemented as well as possible. We will continue to simplify ministerial regulations and so on,” he said.