A recent poll has revealed that nearly 81% of Indonesians approve of President Prabowo Subianto’s performance after his first 100 days in office, attributing the high rating to his early delivery on campaign promises.
According to a survey conducted by the research unit of Kompas newspaper between January 4 and 10, 80.9% of the 1,000 respondents expressed satisfaction with Prabowo’s leadership, citing his focus on people-oriented policies and the swift implementation of his campaign pledges.
“Those who were satisfied reasoned that every programme promised had started to be implemented,” Kompas stated in its report.
Prabowo, who took office in October last year after a landslide election victory alongside his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, received an impressive image rating, with 94.1% of respondents viewing him positively as president. His approval rating surpasses that of his predecessor, Joko Widodo, who had a 65.1% approval rating at the same point in his first term.
A key factor driving Prabowo’s popularity is the launch of his flagship free nutritious meal program, which began on January 6 and targets school children and pregnant women.
The program, with a multi-billion-dollar budget, aims to reach nearly 83 million beneficiaries—more than a quarter of Indonesia’s population—by the end of the year.
However, some economists have raised concerns that the additional debt required to fund the initiative could threaten Indonesia’s fiscal stability. Despite this, *Kompas* noted that respondents expect the program to be sustainable in the long run.
Another contributing factor to Prabowo’s high approval is his administration’s decision to limit an increase in value-added tax to luxury goods and services only. Respondents also praised his plans to provide free medical check-ups, renovate schools, and build more hospitals, which further reinforced public confidence in his leadership.
Boluwatife Enome
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