President Prabowo Subianto has drawn public attention to the worsening waste problem on Bali’s beaches, warning that the situation poses a serious threat to the island’s reputation as one of Indonesia’s top tourist destinations.
He openly criticized Bali Governor I Wayan Koster and other local leaders, questioning why trash continues to accumulate in areas that should be the pride of the tourism sector.
“This is, forgive me, Governor, Regents of Bali. This is real. Bali in December 2025 this is Bali’s beach. How can tourists want to come here if they see trash?” Prabowo said during the 2026 National Coordination Meeting between the Central and Regional Governments on Monday (2/2/2026).
According to Prabowo, the persistence of waste on Bali’s beaches reflects weak coordination and a lack of decisive action by local governments. He stressed that regional leaders actually have sufficient authority to mobilize communities and institutions under their supervision, including schools.
The President proposed that students at all education levels be involved in routine community clean-up programs as part of cultivating discipline, responsibility, and environmental awareness from an early age.
He suggested that these activities could be carried out on certain days of the week without disrupting the learning process.
“Whether it’s on Saturdays or Fridays, all students gather at the beach. This is our beach, this is our yard—let’s clean it together,” Prabowo said.
Prabowo also made it clear that the central government would step in if regional administrations failed to act. He emphasized that environmental cleanliness is a matter of national interest, particularly when it affects tourism and employment.
“What’s wrong with that? If I can’t order the regents and governors, then I will order the district military commanders and regional commanders to mobilize their troops. Cleanup duty, cleanup duty, cleanup duty. Police, mobilize cleanup duty, cleanup duty, cleanup duty,” he declared, prompting loud responses of “ready” from those in attendance.
The President further revealed that Bali’s declining cleanliness had become a topic of concern during his recent meetings abroad. While visiting South Korea, he received blunt feedback from senior officials and military figures.
“He said, ‘Your Excellency, I just came from Bali, oh Bali so dirty now, Bali not nice,’” Prabowo recounted. Rather than taking offense, he said he accepted the remark as an honest assessment. “This is something we must solve together,” he added.
Prabowo warned that continued neglect of environmental issues could deter tourists from visiting Indonesia, particularly Bali, which relies heavily on tourism as a source of employment and regional income.
“Do tourists want to come just to see trash? Indonesia is beautiful do they want to come to see slums?” he said, underscoring the direct link between cleanliness and economic sustainability.
He stressed that addressing waste problems requires consistent, hands-on action rather than symbolic gestures or mutual blame.
“All government institutions must lead cleanup activities. It’s fine for students 10 minutes, 15 minutes, half an hour in the morning,” Prabowo stated, emphasizing that collective effort can yield quick results when carried out regularly.
In addition to short-term clean-up measures, Prabowo outlined a medium-term strategy through the development of 34 waste-to-energy projects planned for various cities across Indonesia. These projects are expected to help reduce landfill pressure while converting waste into useful energy.
Reaffirming his administration’s stance, Prabowo concluded by stressing that environmental cleanliness is essential not only for tourism, but also for public health and national pride.
“We must now declare war on waste,” he said, signaling a firm commitment by the government to tackle the problem through coordinated and sustained action.
Sources : Kompas.com, Antaranews
Feat Image : via AntaraNews//FikriYusuf