President Prabowo says farmers' welfare is improving

President Prabowo Subianto has claimed to have received reports that the welfare of farmers is currently improving, to the extent that many are now able to holiday abroad. “I have received reports that many farmers are now holidaying abroad. That is fine, holidays are allowed, when else can farmers holiday abroad,” said Prabowo during his address at the peak of the 79th National Cooperative Day commemoration in Senayan, Jakarta, on Sunday. The President stressed that the government is continuously striving to bring prosperity to farmers, fishers, and labourers. According to him, the national economic revival is expected to start from villages, sub-districts, and regencies so that the circulation of money can remain within the regions. Prabowo said the government is trying to reverse the conditions that have historically drained the people’s wealth, by encouraging the benefits of economic growth to be felt more directly by the community. “We will make farmers, fishers, and labourers prosperous. Our economy will rise from the villages, sub-districts, and regencies, and the money will stay in the villages, sub-districts, and regencies. We will reverse it. If previously the people’s wealth was drained, we will reverse it, now the economy will trickle down to the people,” he asserted. On the occasion, Prabowo also stressed that the government is not anti-large corporations. As a large country, Indonesia still needs the role of all economic forces, from cooperatives, micro, small, and medium enterprises, the private sector, state-owned enterprises, to regionally-owned enterprises. The Head of State said all these elements need to be strengthened together as part of the Indonesia Incorporated concept, which is expected to bolster the national economy. “That is what I mean by Indonesia Incorporated, that is what the founding fathers desired, that cooperatives are one of the pillars,” he said. Prabowo is optimistic that the cooperative movement will rise to become one of the national economic strengths that can support Indonesia’s emergence as a wealthy and economically strong country. “If we strengthen cooperatives, it does not mean we weaken others, no, we strengthen everything. Ladies and gentlemen, Indonesia is rich, Indonesia will rise, and Indonesia will be able to strengthen all forces in this Republic of Indonesia,” he said.