President Prabowo Vows to Stop Outflow of National Wealth, Strengthen Resource Protection

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to preventing the outflow of the country’s natural wealth, describing the protection of national resources as essential to Indonesia’s economic survival and national interests.

Addressing a plenary cabinet meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, Prabowo stressed that safeguarding the country’s wealth and ensuring that its benefits reached the Indonesian people must remain the government’s top priorities.

“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,” he said.

The president emphasized that national and public interests must take precedence, adding that preventing the loss of the country’s wealth was non-negotiable after centuries of exploitation of Indonesia’s natural resources.

He said the government was determined to protect the nation’s resources and resist practices that enabled domestic wealth to flow abroad at the expense of the country and its people.

Prabowo questioned whether Indonesia should continue with a system that allowed its wealth to be siphoned overseas or confront the challenges associated with reforming the system to protect national interests.

He identified the eradication of smuggling as a key priority, warning that illicit trade undermined state revenues, weakened the national economy and harmed 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.

As part of its efforts to curb financial and resource outflows, the Indonesian 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.

The measures are intended to strengthen export controls and address practices such as smuggling, tax evasion, transfer pricing and profit shifting, which can deprive the state of revenue.

In parallel, the administration is intensifying 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 said the government’s efforts were grounded in its constitutional responsibilities and the mandate entrusted to it by the people.

He called for determination and courage in addressing the challenges facing the country, reiterating his administration’s resolve to protect Indonesia’s natural wealth and ensure that national resources serve the interests of the state and its citizens.