January 23, 2026 | 05:05 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has explained why he did not attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos last year, saying he felt it was too early in his presidency to speak meaningfully on Indonesia’s progress.
Prabowo made the remarks during a special address at WEF 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, January 22.
He said he had declined an invitation to attend the forum in January 2025, when he had been in office for only two months following his inauguration in October 2024.
"In fact, I was invited to speak last year here and I declined. Why? Because had I come last year, I would have only been leading my administration only for two months," Prabowo told the audience.
According to Prabowo, he did not want to attend the forum merely to offer optimistic rhetoric without tangible results to present. He said he preferred to wait until he could speak based on concrete experience and achievements.
"So, what would I be able to say? I would only be able to talk to give platitudes," he added.
Prabowo said he now felt confident addressing global leaders and business executives, claiming his administration had delivered a number of improvements during its first year.
“Today, I stand before you with confidence, with pride in our achievements. We have, in one year, achieved tremendous gains, tremendous reforms," he said, as quoted by the Presidential Secretariat’s official social media account.
"We have wiped away hundreds and hundreds regulations that do not make sense. regulations that hinder fairness, that create culture of corruption."
Among the achievements highlighted, Prabowo cited efforts to cut what he described as unreasonable bureaucratic procedures, arguing that Indonesia is increasingly attractive for economic growth and investment.
He also outlined several flagship government programs, including the establishment of the Danantara Investment Management Agency, the Free Nutritious Meal program, Red and White Village Cooperatives, free health checks, People’s Schools, and Red and White Fishing Villages.
Prabowo’s speech lasted around 40 minutes and was delivered alongside WEF President and Chief Executive Officer Børge Brende.
The WEF 2026 forum also featured special addresses by several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Argentine President Javier Milei.
Read: At WEF Davos, Prabowo Claims Free Meal Program Created 600,000 Jobs
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