Prabowo Outlines Religious, Human-Centered Economy on Pancasila Day

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto has called for a transformation of Indonesia’s economy toward what he described as a system fully aligned with Pancasila values, which he said rest on religiosity, humanity, national unity, and social justice.

In a speech at the 2026 Pancasila Day commemoration ceremony on June 1, Prabowo said natural resources should not be treated as commodities for unrestricted trade.

“Natural resources are a trust from God Almighty that must be managed responsibly for the greatest prosperity of the people,” he said at the Pancasila Field in Jakarta, where he served as inspector of the ceremony.

The president said economic development should not be judged solely by statistical indicators, but by improvements in public welfare, particularly among vulnerable groups. He cited areas such as child nutrition, access to affordable fertilizers for farmers, fair market access for fishermen, and protection for workers.

Prabowo also said a Pancasila-based economy must prioritize national interests and the broader population rather than a small group of beneficiaries.

“For too long, the prices of our natural resources have been determined by other parties, determined in other countries,” he said.

“For too long, some of the profits from natural resources have flowed out of the country and not remained in the Motherland.”

He further described the model as egalitarian and people-oriented, pointing to Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, which states that the economy is organized as a joint effort based on kinship. On that basis, he said the government would strengthen cooperatives and small and medium enterprises, while positioning villages as new centers of economic growth.

“The people should be the main actors in development, not just the object of development, let alone just a tool for development,” Prabowo said.

He added that economic policy must be grounded in social justice, arguing that growth should be accompanied by more even distribution of benefits across society.

Read: Prabowo: No Foreign Nation Will Pity Us If People Are Hungry