Kebumen, May 23, 2026 — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the government will prioritize productive programs that can create jobs for the people over the construction of buildings.
According to Prabowo, the construction of office buildings is still necessary, but it must be accompanied by productivity and tangible results for the people.
“Sorry, but let’s hold off a bit on building so many offices—offices, offices, offices. Sure, they’re necessary. But we don’t want offices that lack productivity,” said Prabowo while attending a shrimp harvest festival at the Area-Based Shrimp Farming (BUBK) facility in Tegalretno Village, Petanahan District, Kebumen, Central Java, on Saturday (May 23).
He noted that the grandeur of an office is meaningless if it does not yield concrete benefits for the community. Therefore, the government wants to focus on programs that deliver results and improve the people’s welfare.
“A grand office with no output. It’s better to have an office that isn’t so fancy, but with good output. With plenty of results,” he said.
Prabowo emphasized that the people’s primary needs right now are jobs and higher incomes. For this reason, the government is promoting various programs capable of absorbing a large number of workers.
“Income for the people is essential. Our people need jobs,” he asserted.
He also praised the program, which he deemed productive for its ability to create jobs for the local community. Prabowo noted that hundreds of local residents have been employed at the BUBK Kebumen modern aquaculture complex.
“So this is very good, very productive. It creates jobs,” said Prabowo.
“How many people are working there now? Six hundred fifty. Six hundred fifty. All local residents. Six hundred fifty local people are working there,” he concluded.
BUBK Kebumen was officially inaugurated on March 9, 2023. To date, BUBK Kebumen has completed its eighth cultivation cycle, with 139 production ponds operating at full capacity.
Currently, the government is planning a similar project on a larger scale in Waingapu, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
