President Prabowo Pushes for Downstreaming to Control National Resources

Cilacap (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto is promoting the acceleration of industrial downstreaming as a strategic step to control and manage national resources for the greatest prosperity of the Indonesian people.

The President stated that the downstreaming projects being implemented cover various sectors, including energy, minerals, and agriculture, as part of efforts to strengthen the national economic structure.

“We do not want to just sell raw materials. We want to process them domestically so that the added value is enjoyed by the people,” said Prabowo while attending the Groundbreaking of 13 National Downstreaming Projects Phase II at the Pertamina Patra Niaga Refinery Unit (RU) IV Cilacap area, Central Java, on Wednesday.

The Head of State emphasised that mastery of natural resources is a primary requirement for a nation aspiring to independence and sovereignty.

Therefore, downstreaming is seen as a form of national courage to manage its own wealth while avoiding dependence on external parties.

The President also connected the importance of downstreaming to the spirit of nationalism, namely love for the homeland and national unity as the foundation of the nation’s revival.

“The only path to a nation’s revival is nationalism and the courage to control its own resources,” said the President.

In the global context, Prabowo noted that technological developments are making the world increasingly connected, so international upheavals can directly impact the domestic economic situation, including prices of food and energy commodities.