Prabowo: Indonesia Saves Foreign Exchange Through Energy Self-Sufficiency

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto, said Indonesia has begun achieving energy self-sufficiency by producing B50 diesel fuel from palm oil, allowing the country to stop importing diesel fuel starting July 1, 2026.

“With the achievement of self-sufficiency in diesel fuel for the first time, we have successfully produced B50 diesel from palm oil,” Prabowo said in his state address at the Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD RI) at the Nusantara Building, Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Friday, August 14, 2026.

According to the President, the halt in diesel imports has helped save the country’s foreign exchange reserves by Rp170 trillion, or around US$9.5 billion, which would otherwise have been spent on fuel imports.

“Starting July 1, 2026, we are no longer importing diesel fuel from abroad. We have saved Rp170 trillion in foreign exchange, around US$9.5 billion, which no longer has to be sent abroad,” he said.

Prabowo also affirmed that several government commitments related to nutritious food, social assistance, and downstream processing have now been implemented and are beginning to benefit the public.

“The promises of nutritious food, social assistance, and downstream processing are no longer plans on paper. They are all underway, and the benefits are beginning to be felt by the people,” he said.

Nevertheless, Prabowo stressed that these achievements should not make the government complacent. He said the progress made should instead serve as motivation to work harder to strengthen economic self-reliance and improve public welfare.