JAKARTA: Indonesia’s president, beneath hearth at house for signing as much as US counterpart Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace”, has insisted his nation wouldn’t pay the $1 billion becoming a member of payment for everlasting membership.
Jakarta had solely dedicated peacekeeping troops for the initiative, Prabowo Subianto mentioned in a press release revealed on the presidential YouTube channel on Sunday.
The “Board of Peace” got here collectively after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of devastating battle in Gaza.
International locations that wish to be everlasting members should pay $1 billion — sparking criticism that the board may grow to be a “pay-to-play” model of the UN Safety Council.
Jakarta has solely dedicated peacekeeping troops for initiative, says Indonesian president
Prabowo, a former normal, has come beneath criticism from Indonesian Muslim teams for becoming a member of the board and pledging to ship 8,000 peacekeeping troops to Gaza.
Prabowo attended the inaugural assembly of the “Board of Peace” in Washington final month.
However he later mentioned he would withdraw from the board if it doesn’t deliver advantages to Palestinians or align with Indonesia’s nationwide pursuits.
“We by no means mentioned that we wished to contribute $1 billion,” Prabowo mentioned in statements broadcast on his YouTube channel Sunday.
He mentioned he didn’t make any monetary commitments “in any respect”.
Prabowo signed a tariff cope with the US final month, however insisted on Sunday that Indonesia may withdraw from any settlement if its situations or execution threatens the nationwide curiosity.
Talks with Washington about any peacekeeping mission to Gaza have been put “on maintain”, based on state information company Antara, citing Overseas Ministry spokesperson Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela.
Indonesia eyes $4.7 bn in financial savings
In the meantime, Indonesia is eyeing as much as 80 trillion rupiah ($4.7 billion) in financial savings to cushion its financial system from the fallout of the battle within the Center East, based on the federal government.
Southeast Asia’s largest financial system can also be mulling fuel-saving measures together with in the future of distant working per week for presidency and sure public sector employees as US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory response within the Gulf have despatched international oil costs hovering.
In an interview, President Prabowo Subianto was requested a couple of attainable shift in funds priorities for the nation that closely subsidizes gasoline for its inhabitants of simply over 284 million.
The previous normal mentioned the federal government was “making each effort” to chop prices by curbing power consumption and boosting manufacturing of renewables, primarily solar energy.
The federal government has repeatedly insisted Prabowo’s signature free meals program — budgeted at $19.7 billion for 2026 — will stay untouched.
It has additionally thus far staunchly defended its gasoline subsidy, which covers about 30 to 40 p.c of the price for customers and represents round 15pc of the funds.
These kind a part of Prabowo’s purpose to lift the financial progress charge from 5.1pc final 12 months to 8pc by 2029, fueled by public spending.
Printed in Daybreak, March twenty fourth, 2026
