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View all search results' Be realistic' says Prabowo, while defending key programs
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President Prabowo Subianto delivers his remarks at the Indonesia Economic Outlook 2026 forum in Jakarta on Feb. 13, 2026, where he also defended the free meals program while acknowledging some problems in its implementation. (Antara/Fauzan)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto has emphasized the need to be realistic in a speech on the Indonesian economy, where he promoted key initiatives of his administration to drive gross domestic product growth.
“I invite us to be realistic. We have always said that we want to become a developed country. It’s true, we want to become a developed country, but we must not get ahead of ourselves,” Prabowo said in Jakarta on Friday.
“We want to reach the level of countries that have attained an advanced level of technology and industry hundreds of years ahead of us. We may have big dreams, but we must have a realistic attitude,” said the President, speaking at the Indonesia Economic Outlook 2026 event attended by government officials, businesspeople and foreign ambassadors.
The event comes after concerns expressed by global index compiler MSCI about stock ownership transparency prompted a sell-off in Indonesian equities last month and after credit rating agency Moody’s cut its outlook on Indonesia’s sovereign rating from neutral to negative last week.
On Monday, Prabowo held a meeting with industry leaders under the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) banner to discuss job creation and obstacles businesses face on the ground.
Apindo advisory council chairman Sofjan Wanandi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that one of the topics brought to the table at the meeting was the need to reinvigorate the country’s industrialization.
Sofjan said restrictions on raw material imports created “high costs” for businesses and were among several factors hindering industrial expansion. He said he had brought the matter to the President’s attention and that Prabowo appreciated the concerns expressed and ideas proposed by the attendees.
