Evaluating two years of Prabowo-Gibran: execution and oversight

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The leadership of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka reaches its crucial two-year milestone on October 20, 2026.

Over the past twenty-four months, the administration has introduced and pushed forward transformative national priority programs designed to uplift millions of citizens across the archipelago.

These ambitious undertakings—ranging from the flagship Free Nutritious Meals initiative and nationwide free health check-ups to a massive three-million-home construction drive, the People’s Schools program, and targeted efforts toward national food and energy security—have required unprecedented mobilization.

Ministries, central agencies, regional administrations, and local communities have all been drawn into an administrative web aimed at accelerating national development and bridging social divides.

In managing this portfolio, the administration relies on a distinct division of labor between the nation's two highest executive figures.

President Prabowo leads the setting of policy direction and national priorities, while Vice President Gibran oversees their implementation by conducting regional visits and gathering public input.

The involvement of both leaders reflects the government’s efforts to expand the reach of these programs while simultaneously addressing challenges that arise during their execution.

Yet, the first two years have also made one fundamental truth evident: the sheer scale and financial magnitude of a national program do not automatically correlate with the immediate quality of services provided.

Rigorous oversight, evaluation, and follow-up on issues encountered in the field are essential to ensuring that government programs achieve their intended goals and deliver significant benefits to the public.

Sharing roles

Constitutionally, Article 4, Paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution vests executive power within the hands of the President, while Paragraph (2) establishes that the President is assisted by a Vice President.

However, the foundational text leaves the exact internal division of daily executive duties unprescribed.

In response, the Prabowo-Gibran administration has forged a pragmatic working arrangement tailored to the unique demands of executing broad-based welfare and development agendas.

Prabowo anchors his leadership within the Presidential Palace, steering structural reforms through cabinet meetings, limited cabinet sessions, and discussions with stakeholders regarding strategic agendas.

His focus remains fixed on macro-level policy coherence, fiscal discipline, and ensuring state initiatives align with his national vision.

In tandem, Vice President Gibran operationalizes his office through a visible presence outside the capital, accompanying the President during critical state affairs while spearheading regional oversight missions to evaluate how central directives translate into local realities.

These regional working visits serve as a means to observe the actual implementation of policies firsthand and to receive feedback directly from the community.

During the initial rollout of the Free Nutritious Meals program and the People’s Schools initiative, Gibran personally inspected multiple implementation sites, including remote regions plagued by inadequate infrastructure and limited access to basic public services.

By stepping directly into classrooms and distribution centers, the Vice President bridges the gap between bureaucratic planning in Jakarta and the actual lived experiences of citizens.

While the division of roles indicates that both are actively involved, the mere allocation of tasks is not sufficient to prove the existence of true synergy.

The effectiveness of their working relationship must ultimately be judged by how they take concrete follow-up action on findings or issues encountered in the field, through coordination across various ministries and agencies.

Overseeing priority programs

Executing priority programs stands as a major agenda for the Prabowo-Gibran administration during its first two years.

Among them, the Free Nutritious Meals program commands the widest national footprint and demands the most complex logistical framework.

By the close of September 2026, official data indicated that the program had expanded its reach to approximately 57 million individual beneficiaries, operated through a sprawling network of 27,486 Nutrition Service Units, and accumulated a total budget realization of Rp153.2 trillion (approximately US$8.49 billion).

The vast scale of the program necessitates oversight that keeps pace with the expansion of services.

President Prabowo has repeatedly issued stern warnings regarding institutional integrity, financial transparency, and uncompromising accountability.

Addressing a national consolidation meeting for the program in Sentul, West Java, last June, the President emphasized that service quality must continuously improve and that every single rupiah of state funds must be handled with strict fidelity to the program's welfare objectives.

Despite these high-level warnings, rapid expansion has birthed formidable operational challenges.

Maintaining uniform health and safety standards across tens of thousands of decentralized food preparation units has proven complex and fraught with localized risks.

A stark reminder occurred in August 2026, when a number of students in Karo Regency, North Sumatra, suffered from suspected food poisoning linked to program distribution.

Vice President Gibran immediately traveled to the region, visited affected children in the hospital, and insisted that their medical care be treated as an absolute priority.

Gibran further assured the public that grievances voiced by affected families would be directly channeled to the President's desk for immediate action.

This field-level intervention was matched by formal regulatory enforcement.

In September, the National Nutrition Agency temporarily suspended operations at 1,276 meal preparation and distribution units that failed to clear mandatory requirements for a Sanitary Hygiene Feasibility Certificate.

Furthermore, the agency permanently shuttered four non-compliant units, including the specific facility implicated in the Karo Regency incident.

These administrative actions illustrate a maturing governance model where priority programs are not judged merely by quantitative milestones or the volume of beneficiaries served.

Instead, the administration has signaled that safety compliance, stringent hygiene standards, and rapid institutional response mechanisms are non-negotiable components of state welfare delivery.

Prabowo's continuous calls for managerial responsibility and Gibran's hands-on responsiveness form a dual approach balancing top-down enforcement with bottom-up empathy.

However, the impact will depend on how these issues are followed up, how procedures are improved, and the ability to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

Avenues for dialogue

Beyond overseeing priority programs, the administration has actively widened avenues for public dialogue, inviting external stakeholders, experts, and ordinary citizens into the policymaking sphere.

Throughout 2026, Prabowo frequently opened the doors of the Presidential Palace to academics, university rectors, and researchers—establishing a direct channel for intellectual critique and evidence-based policy formulation.

Meanwhile, Gibran has met with various organizations, student groups, and communities—receiving their aspirations and proposals.

In January 2026, Prabowo held a meeting with approximately 1,200 rectors, professors, and higher education leaders to discuss the future direction of higher education.

In August, the President invited 150 researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to showcase their research findings and innovations.

A month later, the President engaged in discussions with academics and experts regarding the management of peatlands and the prevention of forest and land fires.

Gibran has also engaged with community groups that provided direct input.

In June 2026, for instance, he held a dialogue with 15 student representatives from Bung Karno University and Mohammad Husni Thamrin University, who shared their views on the Free Nutritious Meal program, education, the Red and White Village Cooperatives, regulatory matters, and the development of underdeveloped regions.

These various meetings demonstrate that the government is receiving input through two complementary channels.

Academics and researchers contribute studies and technical expertise, while organizations and community groups offer firsthand insights into the challenges faced by the public.

Such input has the potential to assist the government in evaluating policies from the perspectives of both planning and implementation.

Nevertheless, the frequency of these meetings does not, in itself, indicate the extent to which this input influences government decision-making.

The openness of a dialogue space cannot be measured solely by the number of parties received or the issues discussed.

Its true value lies in the government's ability to translate this input into concrete decisions and solutions that are relevant to the needs of the public.

Third-year challenges

As they enter the third year of their administration, the challenge for Prabowo and Gibran lies not only in ensuring that priority programs remain on track, but also in maintaining the quality of their implementation and addressing various issues as they arise.

Managing the immense scope of these welfare programs while keeping communication channels open with a watchful public will require sustained political will and administrative discipline.

Ultimately, the synergy between Prabowo and Gibran should be evaluated based on how well their division of roles and coordination result in well-targeted policies, improved public services, and tangible benefits for the people.

The foundation built over the first two years has established the operational framework; the remaining years will demand unwavering consistency, strict accountability, and tangible results delivered directly to the people.

Related news: Beyond the acquisition: Strategic next steps for KRI Sriwijaya-100

Related news: Indonesia faces wildfire challenges ahead of Prabowo’s second year