President Prabowo vows to stop Indonesia's wealth from flowing abroad

Smuggling is like stabbing our own nation—stabbing our own body.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to curbing the outflow of Indonesia’s natural wealth, describing the protection of national resources as essential to the country’s economic survival.

“We are currently in a situation where we must survive. We must endure; we must safeguard our wealth. Our natural resources are like our own blood—if our blood keeps leaking, our body cannot possibly survive,” Prabowo said during a plenary cabinet meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday.

“In a state of survival, the national interest and the interests of the people must come first,” he added.

Prabowo stressed that stopping the loss of national wealth was non-negotiable, arguing that Indonesia’s resources had been exploited for centuries.

He said efforts to safeguard these resources reflected Indonesia’s determination to rise and resist those seeking to profit from the country’s natural riches.

“Are we now compelled to choose—to face hardships and confront the reality that we must save the wealth of our nation and our people? Or should we continue with a system that allows Indonesia’s wealth to be siphoned abroad, year after year, through practices that I consider to be fraudulent?” Prabowo asked.

He identified the eradication of smuggling as a key measure to curb these losses, saying illicit trade harms both the state and the Indonesian people.

“Smuggling is like stabbing our own nation—stabbing our own body. It is an attempt to kill our economy. And to kill our economy is to kill our nation,” he said.

To combat illicit trade, tax evasion, transfer pricing, and profit shifting, the government introduced a “single-door” export policy effective June 1, 2026. The policy targets strategic commodities, including crude palm oil (CPO), coal, and iron alloys.

Beyond trade controls, the administration is also taking action against illegal mining and plantation activities in forest areas through the Task Force for the Regulation of Forest Areas (Satgas PKH).

Concluding his remarks, Prabowo framed these measures as part of his administration’s constitutional and public mandate.

“We have received a mandate from the people at a time and under circumstances that compel us to confront challenges and difficulties with courage,” he said.

Related news: Prabowo warns of foreign interference in Indonesia's natural wealth

Translator: Fathur Rochman, Yashinta Difa
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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