Jakarta – The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, emphasized the importance of food and energy self-sufficiency as the main foundation of national resilience.
In the evaluation of the first six months of his administration, President Prabowo appreciated the strategic achievements that had been achieved, including national food production that exceeded the target and recorded the highest rice and corn reserves in Indonesian history.
In the energy sector, the initial production from the Forel and Terubuk fields in Natuna also increased the national supply by 20 thousand barrels of oil and 60 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
An economic expert from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), Muhammad Rizal Taufiqurrahman, assessed that self-sufficiency in these two strategic sectors is an absolute necessity for the Indonesian nation.
“Food and energy self-sufficiency reflects the strength of national defense. Both are inevitable and must be realized because Indonesia has enormous potential,” he said.
According to Rizal, self-sufficiency is not only about meeting domestic needs, but also an opportunity to increase exports.
The food and energy sector plays a major role in the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and absorbs a large number of workers. He noted that the agricultural sector once absorbed up to 45 million workers, showing a widespread impact on people’s welfare.
President Prabowo, Rizal continued, is known to have great concern for farmers and food security. The impact of these achievements will be felt evenly by the entire community.
“The achievements that have been achieved must be continued with even distribution and implementation so that the benefits can be felt by all people,” he explained.
The government has prepared clear policies, roadmaps, and strategies towards food and energy independence. The success of this program is highly dependent on consistent implementation, strong supervision, and political courage to make firm decisions. Rizal also emphasized the importance of firm action against parties who try to disrupt this strategic program, including the food mafia and irresponsible bureaucrats.
With the synergy of all elements of the nation and optimal utilization of national resources, food and energy self-sufficiency is believed to be the key to realizing an independent, strong, and prosperous Indonesia. []
