JAKARTA: Indonesia’s president, under fire at home for signing up to US counterpart Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace”, has insisted his country would not pay the $1 billion joining fee for permanent membership.

Jakarta had only committed peacekeeping troops for the initiative, Prabowo Subianto said in a statement published on the presidential YouTube channel on Sunday.

The “Board of Peace” came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of devastating war in Gaza.

Countries that want to be permanent members must pay $1 billion — sparking criticism the board could become a “pay-to-play” version of the UN Security Council.

Jakarta has only committed peacekeeping troops for initiative, says Indonesian president

Prabowo, a former general, has come under criticism from Indonesian Muslim groups for joining the board and pledging to send 8,000 peacekeeping troops to Gaza.

Prabowo attended the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace” in Washington last month.

But he later said he would withdraw from the board if it does not bring benefits to Palestinians or align with Indonesia’s national interests.

“We never said that we wanted to contribute $1 billion,” Prabowo said in statements broadcast on his YouTube channel Sunday.

He said he did not make any financial commitments “at all”.

Prabowo signed a tariff deal with the US last month, but insisted on Sunday that Indonesia could withdraw from any agreement if its conditions or execution threatens the national interest.

Talks with Washington about any peacekeeping mission to Gaza have been put “on hold”, according to state news agency Antara, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela.

Indonesia eyes $4.7 bn in savings

Meanwhile, Indonesia is eyeing up to 80 trillion rupiah ($4.7 billion) in savings to cushion its economy from the fallout of the war in the Middle East, according to the government.

Southeast Asia’s largest economy is also mulling fuel-saving measures including one day of remote working per week for government and certain public sector workers as US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory response in the Gulf have sent global oil prices soaring.

In an interview, President Prabowo Subianto was asked about a possible shift in budget priorities for the country that heavily subsidises fuel for its population of just over 284 million.

The former general said the government was “making every effort” to cut costs by curbing energy consumption and boosting production of renewables, mainly solar power.

The government has repeatedly insisted Prabowo’s signature free meals programme — budgeted at $19.7 billion for 2026 — will remain untouched.

It has also so far staunchly defended its fuel subsidy, which covers about 30 to 40 per cent of the cost for consumers and represents around 15pc of the budget.

These form part of Prabowo’s goal to raise the economic growth rate from 5.1pc last year to 8pc by 2029, fuelled by public spending.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2026