Prabowo slams Bali local government over island’s waste crisis, warns of threat to tourism
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said that he would not hesitate to deploy military and police personnel to assist with clean-up efforts if local governments are unable to act swiftly.
Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto speaking at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of the Central and Regional Governments in Bogor, West Java on Feb 2, 2026. He showed photos of trash scattered along the island’s beaches, which he said were taken in December 2025. (Photo: Gerindra)
BOGOR, West Java: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has slammed the Bali provincial government over the island’s worsening waste problem, warning that it could undermine the country’s tourism sector and damage its global reputation.
Prabowo said he had received complaints from some foreign dignitaries who recently visited Bali and were disappointed by its cleanliness.
“I was in (South) Korea meeting some ministers, generals … They told me, ‘Your Excellency, I just came from Bali, it’s so dirty now, it’s not nice,” the Indonesian president said on Monday (Feb 2), as he recounted the exchange.
“I take that as a criticism, this is something we must address together.”
Prabowo was speaking at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of the Central and Regional Governments in Bogor, West Java.
Tourism is one of the “easiest” sectors to develop and has a large capacity to absorb labour but its potential is now being hindered by cleanliness issues, he said.
“Indonesia is beautiful. People want to come, but they see slums. They want to go to Bali but the beaches are dirty,” he said during the meeting, which was broadcast live on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ YouTube channel.
Prabowo then took a swipe at Bali Governor I Wayan Koster and regional leaders over beach conditions, which he described as filled with trash. The president further questioned why the problem has proven difficult to resolve, despite beaches being Bali’s main tourism asset.
“I am sorry, governor, regents from Bali … This is real, Bali in December 2025. How are our tourists supposed to come when they see trash?” he said, displaying photos of scattered trash in Bali.
In response to Prabowo’s comments, Bali governor Koster said that seasonal factors - such as ocean currents during the rainy season - are the main cause of the accumulation of waste on the island’s beaches.
He explained that from December to February, ocean currents tend to be strong, bringing waste from outside Bali to the main beaches, making immediate clean-up operations difficult due to the large volume and wide distribution of debris.
Prabowo on Monday had highlighted the role of local governments, which have authority over schools, suggesting that students could be involved in beach clean-up activities.
“High school, junior high school and elementary school students are under your authority. What is so difficult about gathering all the students at the beach on either Saturday or Friday?” he asked, as quoted by local news outlet Tempo.
“This is our beach, let’s clean it together.”
He added that he would not hesitate to deploy military and police personnel to assist with clean-up efforts if local governments are unable to act swiftly.
“If the regents and governors can’t do it, I will order the district military commander, the regional military commander to mobilise their troops, every day or for several days,” he said.
As a step further, Prabowo added that he had devised a clean-up plan - which he dubbed the ASRI Indonesia Movement - that would see leaders within ministries, agencies, state-owned enterprises, and regional governments conducting waste collection operations for at least half an hour before working hours.
Prabowo stressed that the policy will serve as a specialised programme within his administration.
Koster in April had said that the island generates around 3,500 tons of waste per day, with approximately 17 per cent consisting of plastic, while landfill capacity in several areas is nearing its maximum limit, reported Kompas.
“We have to declare a war on waste,” Prabowo said.
“This is for our people, waste is a disaster, waste is a disease, we will act.”
Following Prabowo’s directive, Koster said that he will form a special task force to monitor beach areas and other tourist sites in Bali.
The task force will involve the Environmental Agency, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, Education Office, as well as the military and police.
He added that students may also be involved in beach clean-up efforts, as earlier suggested by Prabowo.
