"Indonesia is pursuing its national interests globally. The government, through bilateral negotiations, has succeeded in persuading the United States to lower the rate of tariffs imposed on our products to 19 percent from 32 percent," he said.
The president raised the topic in his speech on the 2026 State Budget Bill and Financial Notes at a plenary session of the House of Representatives (DPR) in the Nusantara Building of the Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta on Friday.
He also spotlighted the government's success in reaching a favorable conclusion to the lengthy negotiations on the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
"After 10 years of rigorous negotiations, we finally made a breakthrough this year," Prabowo affirmed.
The head of state went on to say that under his leadership, Indonesia has been actively engaged in a range of multilateral forums to fight for its interests, such as BRICS, the G20, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
"We are in the process of acceding to the OECD, and I am confident that this process will be fruitful. We are determined to defend our national interests on the global stage, ensuring that our country stands equally with the others," he said.
Shifting to the domestic sphere, the president underlined that Indonesia's economic standing remains firm amid ever-evolving global challenges.
"In the face of global turbulence, our State Budget has proven to be able to maintain economic stability and protect the people and the business ecosystem. The government has been responsive to global pressure," Prabowo said.
On that note, he highlighted that the government disbursed Rp33 trillion (over US$2 billion) worth of economic stimuli in January this year and another Rp24.4 trillion (approx. US$1.5 billion) last June.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the government had prepared various programs as safety nets to maintain people’s purchasing power and safeguard them from job terminations.
He identified these initiatives as the Family Hope Program, the Staple Good Card Program, and the Smart Indonesia Program, among others.
The president delivered the remarks before 473 legislators, including DPR Speaker Puan Maharani, as well as top officials from executive, judicial, and security institutions.
Among the cabinet members in attendance were Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan, Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
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Translator: Genta T, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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