President Prabowo Subianto recently highlighted a significant economic challenge facing Indonesia: an estimated US$8 billion, or approximately IDR 133 trillion (at an exchange rate of IDR 16,610 per US$), is lost annually due to illegal online gambling. This staggering figure underscores the profound impact of what President Prabowo termed a “very serious” issue for the nation.
Speaking at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday, November 1st, President Prabowo emphasized the critical need for global collaboration to combat transnational crimes. The Indonesian Head of State noted that Indonesia suffers immensely from various illicit activities, including illegal smuggling, rampant corruption, and drug trafficking, all of which necessitate a united international front for effective resolution.
During his address, Prabowo candidly acknowledged that Indonesia currently lags behind many of its fellow APEC member nations. He stated, “We still contend with immense poverty, and a significant portion of our population faces hunger.” He further stressed the urgent national imperative to tackle these pressing issues of poverty and hunger with the utmost speed and determination.
To bridge this development gap, President Prabowo stressed the vital importance of advancing Indonesia’s education sector. He articulated his vision for Indonesia’s active participation in all APEC capacity-building initiatives, particularly those focused on bolstering expertise in cutting-edge technology and healthcare, alongside empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
A cornerstone of Prabowo’s strategy for national advancement includes maximizing the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across numerous sectors, with a particular focus on agriculture. He unveiled an ambitious national goal for Indonesia to achieve food self-sufficiency within the next four years, leveraging the transformative potential of AI to revolutionize farming practices.
President Prabowo expressed profound confidence in AI’s capabilities, remarking, “AI enables us to elevate production to the highest levels in the history of independent Indonesia.” This statement encapsulates his optimistic outlook on how advanced technology can serve as a powerful catalyst for unprecedented growth and prosperity across the archipelago.
Summary
President Prabowo Subianto highlighted that Indonesia loses an estimated US$8 billion (IDR 133 trillion) annually due to illegal online gambling, calling it a “very serious” issue. Speaking at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in South Korea, he emphasized the critical need for global collaboration to combat transnational crimes such as smuggling, corruption, and drug trafficking. Prabowo also acknowledged Indonesia’s struggles with immense poverty and hunger, noting the nation lags behind many APEC members.
To address these challenges, President Prabowo stressed the vital importance of advancing Indonesia’s education sector and participating in APEC capacity-building, particularly in cutting-edge technology and healthcare. A cornerstone of his strategy includes maximizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) deployment across various sectors, especially agriculture. He set an ambitious national goal for Indonesia to achieve food self-sufficiency within four years, leveraging AI to boost production to unprecedented levels.
