(For instance), the price of imported mechanical equipment is Rp22.9 million (US$1.557), while the (price of the same product made by the) local industry is Rp28 million (US$1.904), then purchase the local product. We must not prefer imported productJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) urged government ministries, institutions, and regional authorities to persevere to purchase domestic-made products through the e-catalogue system despite them being more expensive than the imported items.
In his remarks to open the 2022 Government's National Coordination Meeting for Internal Supervision at the Presidential Palace here on Tuesday, the president emphasized that purchasing domestic products was efficient and would drive national economic growth.
Jokowi stressed that he accepts no justification to purchase imported products despite the price being more favourable.
"(For instance), the price of imported mechanical equipment is Rp22.9 million (US$1.557), while the (price of the same product made by the) local industry is Rp28 million (US$1.904), then purchase the local product. We must not prefer imported products just because they are cheaper, no. Despite the price discrepancy, keep buying domestic products," the president stated.
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The head of state highlighted that imported products continued to dominate the spending of central and regional authorities, as they accounted for Rp722.88 trillion (US$49.1 billion), while the spending realisation for domestic-made products was only at Rp180.72 trillion (US$12.2 billion).
The president noted that substitute products manufactured by local companies could replace the imported items.
Purchasing domestic-made products could also stimulate investment to increase the factory's production capacity and create new jobs for residents, he noted.
"If a small factory has a capacity to produce only one thousand products, and then, the central government orders 10 thousand products to the small factory. Thus, it will compel them to expand the factory and industry, as well as increase its workforce," Jokowi explained.
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Meanwhile, Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) Head Muhammad Yusuf Ateh stated that from the sampling of 853 purchased imported items, some 560 items, or equal to 66 percent, were priced lower than their domestic-produced counterparts.
"As for the imports of products without the substitute domestic-made products, we need to encourage development of the relevant domestic industry," Ateh stated.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi G, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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