Jakarta – In a Plenary Cabinet Session held at the State Palace on Monday (May 5), President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, emphasized that the Merah Putih Cabinet has delivered tangible results within its first six months in office.

One of the key achievements highlighted by Prabowo was Indonesia’s success in maintaining price stability and controlling inflation amid ongoing global uncertainty.

“Our inflation is one of the lowest in the world—perhaps among the five lowest. The only country with possibly lower inflation than us might be China,” Prabowo said.

He underscored that this achievement was not a matter of chance, but the result of consistent fiscal management and the continuation of sound policies laid out by previous administrations.

In addition to inflation, Prabowo also pointed to the government’s success in keeping staple food prices stable, particularly during the year-end holidays, Christmas, and Eid—a period typically associated with price spikes.

“Alhamdulillah, during this year’s end-of-year, Christmas, and Eid season under our administration, prices remained stable. Food stocks were secure,” he stated.

Prabowo shared a personal reflection from his childhood, recalling how his father, Soemitro Djojohadikusumo—who once served as Minister of Trade—would often experience tension leading up to major holidays due to rising food prices.

“I’ve been Indonesian for a long time. When I was a child, my father was Minister of Trade. I saw firsthand how stressful it was every Eid and at the end of every year,” he recalled.

Furthermore, Prabowo announced that the government’s current rice reserves are at the highest level in the past 57 years. He affirmed that this was not accidental, but the result of careful planning and strong coordination.

“One of our most concrete achievements is that government rice stock is now at its highest in the history of the Republic of Indonesia,” he declared.

He also highlighted that rice production in several regions—such as South Sumatra—had increased by up to 25 percent compared to previous years.

This surge in production, Prabowo explained, was partly due to the government’s swift response to extreme weather conditions, including El Niño and La Niña. The administration had procured tens of thousands of water pumps to ensure sufficient irrigation for farmlands across the country.

“As a result, alhamdulillah, we’re safe now because of the actions we took years ago,” he noted.

Prabowo also stressed the importance of using Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution as the foundation for food policy. The government now mandates that rice mills must buy harvested rice from farmers at fair prices.

“If a rice mill buys rice at low prices after harvest, we will revoke their business license. We’re not messing around,” he warned.

He concluded his remarks with a call to preserve these achievements together to build true national food security.

“If businesses profit, the people must also profit. Farmers must enjoy the fruits of their hard work,” Prabowo concluded.