President Prabowo Urges Success for 2026 Economic Census, Citing Need for Accurate Policy

President Prabowo Subianto has emphasized the critical need for the success of the 2026 Economic Census, stating that the data collected by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) will serve as the foundation for more precise government policies and budget allocations. The President highlighted this during the Government's Introductory Remarks on the Draft Law concerning the State Budget for Fiscal Year 2027 and its Financial Notes.

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The data compiled by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in the 2026 Economic Census will be used by the government as a basis for formulating policies and budgets more accurately.

Prabowo pointed out that updating the calculation of national economic activities is vital, as Indonesia has not performed a "rebasing" or updated its methodology in over ten years. This makes the ongoing census, conducted by 251,000 census officers across the country until the end of August 2026, particularly important. He urged citizens to fill out the census forms honestly to ensure the data accurately reflects the nation's economic reality.

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The need to update the calculation of economic activities is increasingly important because Indonesia has not performed a rebasing or updated the way national economic activities are calculated for more than 10 years.

The President explained that macroeconomic indicators, which heavily influence the State Budget (APBN), are dependent on the quality of data provided by the BPS. He assured the public that the collected data would not be used for personal wealth or income tracking. Prabowo used the accuracy of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculations as an example, noting its impact on the APBN deficit ratio. For instance, the draft 2027 budget assumes a GDP of Rp 27,987 trillion, with a projected deficit of 2.40 percent. He added that if the actual GDP is higher, as suggested by international institutions, the deficit could be significantly smaller.

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Therefore, the economic census that is currently being carried out until the end of August 2026, which is carried out by 251,000 census officers, working in all our villages, needs to be ensured to be successful.

Beyond informing policy and budget decisions, the results of the 2026 Economic Census will also be used to update the National Single Social and Economic Data (DTSEN). Prabowo reiterated the census's significance, underscoring its role in providing a clear and accurate picture of Indonesia's economic landscape for future planning and development.

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The figures in the State Budget (APBN) are highly dependent on macroeconomic indicators. Meanwhile, macroeconomic indicators depend on the quality of data collected by BPS.