Dino Patti Djalal: Prabowo Spends 1 of 6 Days Abroad, Advises Reduced Travel

Dino Patti Djalal, founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), has urged President Prabowo Subianto to significantly curb his extensive international travel, responding to public sentiment that criticizes the frequency and cost of these trips. Djalal highlighted that Prabowo has become the most frequent international traveler among world leaders, spending approximately one out of every six days abroad.

This pattern of travel, Djalal noted, is not only unusual but also incurs substantial costs. He detailed the expenses associated with presidential trips, including advance teams, flights, accommodation, logistics, meals, security, daily allowances, and other related expenditures. These costs can amount to tens or even hundreds of billions of rupiah per trip, prompting Djalal to offer five key recommendations to the president.

Among his primary suggestions, Djalal proposed that Prabowo rely more on virtual communication tools like video calls, Zoom, or phone calls to maintain contact with other world leaders. He argued that bilateral meetings often consist of a brief core discussion followed by largely ceremonial elements. By shifting to virtual meetings, which cost virtually nothing, the country could save vast sums while achieving similar substantive outcomes. This approach, he believes, would address public perceptions of wasteful travel.

Djalal cited Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as an example, noting her numerous phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump without a single bilateral meeting, despite the U.S. being Mexico's largest trading partner. He also mentioned Sheinbaum's use of commercial economy class flights for a trip to Spain as a gesture of frugality for her administration. Djalal's second suggestion was for Prabowo to maximize opportunities at international forums to meet with other leaders already present, thereby consolidating travel and reducing overall expenditure.