Jakarta, 20 January 2026 — Board of Advisors of Prasasti, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, emphasized that Indonesia’s economic growth in 2026 must be supported by priority policies in the food, nutrition, housing, health sectors, as well as fiscal reform and law enforcement.
Through this approach, Indonesia’s economy is expected not only to grow in a high-quality and sustainable manner, but also to deliver tangible improvements to public welfare and quality of life.
He made these remarks during the Prasasti Luncheon Talk 2026 dialogue entitled “Priority Sectors and Policies as Challenges and Opportunities for Indonesia’s Growth in 2026”, held on Thursday (15/1/2026).
Hashim acknowledged that the current government has achieved many accomplishments, but these are often overshadowed by intense criticism on social media. He argued that some of these attacks are not genuine criticism, but rather organized campaigns using bots, avatars, and artificial intelligence to discredit the government.
“There are pages read by 5,000 people but with 20,000 comments. That makes no sense,” he said. He cited allegations that President Prabowo Subianto controls nearly all palm oil land in Indonesia as blatant misinformation.
Hashim then outlined several achievements that he believes have had a direct impact on public welfare. One of them is the realization of an Indonesian Hajj village in Mecca, near the Grand Mosque, a plan that had existed since the 1950s and was only realized recently through direct lobbying by President Prabowo with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In the social sector, he highlighted the Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG), which has reached 55 million beneficiaries, plus 4 million pregnant women. According to Hashim, the program stems from findings that high stunting rates are caused by malnutrition rather than hunger.
“The MBG program was proposed by Prabowo as early as 2006, long before Gerindra was established. The idea originated from concern over stunting caused by malnutrition among toddlers and pregnant women,” Hashim said.
He stressed that MBG is voluntary and has a large economic multiplier effect reaching rural areas, with a distribution target of 82 million eggs, along with chicken and fruit. “So the objective is not only social and about improving future generations’ quality of life, but also about mobilizing the real sector to spur growth,” he said.
Additionally, the government is implementing the People’s School program for children from the poorest families, as well as building 3 million homes per year to address approximately 27 million substandard homes in rural areas.
According to Hashim, the housing sector is linked to 185 industrial value chains, making it a powerful driver of economic growth. “We can learn from China, which achieved remarkable growth over several decades thanks to massive housing development to provide decent homes for its citizens,” he said.
In the food sector, Hashim stated that food self-sufficiency was achieved within one year through intensification, including cutting fertilizer prices by up to 20 percent without harming producers. He argued that the main obstacle for decades had been convoluted fertilizer distribution bureaucracy.
Hashim also underscored the importance of fiscal reform and law enforcement in taxation. He cited leakage in the e-commerce sector, where tax payments are minimal compared to transaction values. “Without raising tax rates, through efficiency of the apparatus and the right policies, I am optimistic Indonesia’s economic growth can reach 8 percent,” he said.