President Prabowo pledges crackdown on smuggling to protect Indonesia's natural wealth

In a plenary cabinet session in Jakarta, President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that Indonesia must protect its natural wealth, describing smuggling as a self-inflicted wound that could kill the economy. He argued that centuries of exploitation have left the country vulnerable and that stopping the leakage of resources is non-negotiable. The government has launched a "single-door" export regime starting 1 June 2026, targeting strategic commodities such as crude palm oil, coal and iron alloys to curb tax evasion, transfer pricing and profit shifting.

Simultaneously, the Task Force for the Regulation of Forest Areas (Satgas PKH) is being mobilized to combat illegal mining and plantation activities in forest zones. Prabowo framed these measures as a constitutional mandate to safeguard the nation and its people amid a survival-oriented context.