The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, openly reprimanded Bali’s regional government, including the governor and regents, over the waste problem, which is considered to have polluted the environment and threatened the sustainability of national tourism.
Subianto emphasised that the waste problem in Bali cannot be allowed to persist and cannot be resolved by shifting blame, but must instead be addressed through real action and decisive leadership. He highlighted the condition of Bali’s beaches in particular, which he believes has tarnished Indonesia’s tourism image.
“To resolve the waste problem, we need cooperation between the central and regional governments. But we cannot wait. Therefore, if necessary, for the benefit of the people, the central government will take the lead,” the President asserted at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting (Rapat Koordinasi Nasional or Rakornas) of the Central and Regional Governments at the Sentul International Convention Center (SICC), Bogor Regency, West Java Province, on Monday, 2nd of February.
Subianto also revealed that he had received direct complaints from foreign figures regarding Bali’s increasingly poor environmental conditions.
“[They] spoke to me, saying, ‘Your Excellency, I just came from Bali. Oh, Bali is so dirty now. Bali is not nice.’ Wow, but I accept that as a correction. We must address this together,” he continued.
He therefore directly urged the governor and regional heads in Bali to take full responsibility for environmental cleanliness, including involving schools and communities in regular community service activities. The President issued a reprimand, warning that if local governments fail to act swiftly, the central government is ready to take over leadership of waste management in Bali for the benefit of the people.
Subianto also stated that he would mobilise the Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia or TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia or Polri), state-owned enterprises (Badan Usaha Milik Negara or BUMN), as well as all ministries and institutions to directly participate in large-scale community service activities in Bali.
“If the regent and governor [of Bali] cannot do it, I order the Dandim [District Military Commander], Danrem [Regional Military Commander] to mobilise your subordinates to carry out community service. Every day, or every few days, carry out community service, community service, community service. Police, carry out community service, community service, community service. Eventually, they will be able to save the day,” the President asserted.