Prabowo to Cover Excess Costs of Foreign Visits, Cabinet Secretary Says
Reporter
June 1, 2026 | 11:12 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya claimed that President Prabowo Subianto bears the cost of foreign trips. For example, if the expenses exceed the allocated budget, Prabowo will cover the excess from his personal pocket.
"So, any excess expenses that have been budgeted by the state are fully borne by President Prabowo personally," said Teddy in a video statement on Monday, June 1, 2026.
He also claimed that the number of presidential entourages during foreign visits has decreased in the Prabowo era compared to the previous administration. Teddy said that there are now only half as many state delegations as there were during the previous administration.
Teddy stated that during the Prabowo term, the president's delegation during foreign visits could exceed 120 people. "During President Prabowo's time, the number was between 50 and 60 people at most. Many people know this, including journalists," he said.
In his statement, Teddy did not disclose the amount allocated by the state for Prabowo's foreign visits. He also did not reveal the amount of money from Prabowo's personal pocket to cover the excess expenses of the president's foreign trips.
This military officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel clarified this in response to criticisms from the founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), Dino Patti Djalal. Dino had previously made five suggestions to President Prabowo, who had been criticized for traveling abroad frequently.
In a video posted on his Instagram account, @dinopattidjalal, Dino expressed that many Indonesians asked Prabowo to significantly reduce the frequency of foreign trips and not underestimate the public outcry.
"In our calculation, among all world leaders, President Prabowo has become the head of state who most often travels abroad," said Dino.
This former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs mentioned that the cost of a single foreign trip by the president could reach tens to hundreds of billions of rupiahs. The expenses include the entourage team, aircraft, hotels, logistics, consumption, protocol, and security, daily allowances for all delegations and accompanying staff, as well as various other expenses.
"State visits abroad incur substantial, even very large, costs," said the former ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the United States.
Eka Yudha Saputra contributed to the writing of this article
Read: Prabowo: No Foreign Nation Will Pity Us If People Are Hungry
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