RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto affirmed that the government will continue to implement budget efficiency measures to accelerate the eradication of hunger, poverty, and extreme poverty in Indonesia. He even stated that, if necessary, defense and police budgets could be reduced to ensure the people's basic needs are met.

"We must eradicate hunger. We must eradicate poverty. We must eradicate poverty, especially extreme poverty. God willing, we will. We will economize our budget. We will make it more efficient. If necessary, we will reduce the defense budget and the police budget to eradicate poverty," Prabowo said in his speech at a simultaneous harvest event with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in Malang Regency, East Java, on Friday, July 17, 2026.

This statement stands in stark contrast to the reality of recent years, including during the administration of Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, when the defense and security sector consistently ranked among the government's highest-funded sectors.

In 2026, the Ministry of Defense received the second-largest allocation from the state budget, amounting to Rp185 trillion (approximately US$11 billion). The Indonesian National Police (Polri) followed with a budget of Rp145 trillion (about US$8 billion).

He stated that these efficiency measures are part of a major effort to prepare for Indonesia's future, which is projected to be one of the world's largest economies by 2045–2050. According to him, Indonesia's goal of becoming a developed nation can only be realized if the current generation of young people is truly well-prepared.

"So, the children who are 10 years old now, in elementary school, will be 35 in 25 years; they are the essence of the Indonesian nation. So, if we don't take care of these children now, how will they become the fourth largest nation in the world?" the president said, as quoted from the Indonesian Presidential Secretariat.

In this context, Prabowo emphasized that national strength is determined not only by defense and security in the narrow sense, but also by the well-being of the people. He said strong, healthy, and prosperous people are the primary foundation of national defense.

"The best defense is a strong and prosperous people. If anyone messes with the Indonesian nation, all the people will defend this nation. That's why from now on, the TNI and the Polri are among the people, among the farmers and fishermen," he said.

The president also expressed his appreciation for the TNI and Polri in assisting the community through various concrete programs, including bridge construction and water supply. According to him, the plight of the people must be a shared concern for all elements of the state.

"Today I am proud, today I am happy. I am truly happy and truly moved. The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) have built thousands of bridges, and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) have built thousands of water points. We have overcome them; we have overcome the difficulties our people face," Prabowo said.

Besides, he stressed that the TNI and Polri "belong to the people". Therefore, their existence must always be directed towards helping the people and overcoming the difficulties faced by the community.

"This is Indonesia, the TNI and Polri belong to the people, and we must address the people's difficulties. The TNI and Polri must address the people's difficulties," he said.