Prabowo touts government’s early wins in state address, says Indonesia could hit 6% growth by this year

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivered his second State of the Nation address on August 14, 2024, ahead of the country's Independence Day on August 17. In his speech, Prabowo highlighted his administration's achievements and outlined his goals for the future.

Within 663 days of taking office, the government had implemented 121 transformative policies, according to Prabowo. He emphasized the importance of speed, state intervention, and tangible benefits for ordinary Indonesians. However, he also acknowledged that not all issues have been resolved and called for the nation's support.

Prabowo expressed confidence that Indonesia could achieve an economic growth rate of 6% by the end of the year. The country's economy grew by 5.61% in the first quarter and 5.45% in the first half of 2026, the highest growth rates in the last 13 years. Prabowo set a target of 8% GDP growth by the end of his presidential term in 2029, but stressed that economic growth is not his government's ultimate goal.

Indonesia has achieved food self-sufficiency in staples such as rice, corn, sugar, chicken meat, eggs, shallots, large chilli peppers, and bird's eye chillies. The government is working towards energy self-sufficiency by implementing the B50 biofuel, which blends palm oil-based biodiesel with diesel fuel. This has enabled Indonesia to save up to 170 trillion rupiah (US$9.5 billion) by ceasing imports of diesel fuel starting July 1.

The president also addressed several ongoing challenges, including corruption allegations against the US$12.81 billion free nutritious meal programme, food poisoning cases, and the need to improve the programme's efficiency. He acknowledged that nation-building is a collective effort involving state institutions, local governments, and the entire Indonesian population.

Prabowo presented reports on the performance of state institutions and highlighted key programs undertaken by his administration, such as the free nutritious meal programme and the Red-White village cooperatives. The latter aims to improve the rural economy and create jobs, with 10,000 cooperatives already operational as of July 2025.

The target is to have 30,000 cooperatives operational by the end of 2026. Other achievements include the provision of free basic medical check-ups to millions of citizens and the establishment of Garuda School to ensure equitable access to quality education across the country.