President Prabowo Pushes Industrialization to Cut Reliance on Imports

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto underscored the irony of Indonesia’s industrial chain, noting that world-class commodities such as coffee and cocoa remain underutilized at home.

Speaking at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, earlier this week, he expressed surprise that Indonesians continue to consume imported brands like Starbucks, Nestlé, KitKat, and Cadbury, even though local raw materials are considered among the best in the world.

“We have the best coffee and cocoa, yet we import Starbucks, Nestlé, and Nescafé. We have the best cocoa, but we import KitKat and eat Cadbury,” President Prabowo said during a discussion on downstreaming and industrialization with journalists and economists, according to an official statement in Jakarta on Thursday, March 19, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

President Prabowo stressed that his administration will prioritize downstreaming and industrialization of strategic commodities. He introduced the concept of an “industrial tree,” which he said would be applied to all vital sectors, including metals, minerals, coconut, coffee, and cocoa.

“I want downstreaming. That’s the only way. We must stop exporting raw materials. We have to process them into industrial products with higher value,” he said in the event titled President Prabowo Answers.

He cited coconut as an example of untapped potential. “Coconut is considered a miracle crop. Virgin coconut oil is seen as anticancer, but we only have one or two coconut factories. All this time, we have exported raw coconuts,” he said.

President Prabowo also highlighted the need to develop mineral-processing industries, particularly bauxite processing. “We have bauxite. Bauxite can be processed into alumina, then aluminum, and eventually cars. But we don’t process bauxite. Japan doesn’t have bauxite, yet they produce the best cars. This is what we have to do,” he said.

The president believes the industrial tree concept must be implemented across all strategic commodities to maximize Indonesia’s resources. “We must build hundreds of factories. That is what we call the industrial tree. We have already mapped it out, we actually have a plan. The industrial tree will apply to all important commodities we possess,” he said.

President Prabowo emphasized that downstreaming is not only about reducing dependence on imports but also about creating quality jobs for Indonesia’s younger generation. He said industrialization would ensure that the country’s natural wealth translates into sustainable economic growth and greater national resilience. ***