Regarding KCI Imports Ex-Japanese Train Cars, The Minister Of Industry Will Meeting Tomorrow

KRL illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) has not yet received a recommendation from the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) regarding the import of electric rail carriages (KRL), to date. These imports must be made considering that until next year there will be dozens of train series that are no longer suitable for use, aka having to be retired.

Responding to this, the Minister of Industry (Menperin) Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said that his party would hold a meeting with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, in the near future.

"Tomorrow we will hold a meeting. Later, all of them will be invited, including (Kemenhub) by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries," Agus told reporters in Jakarta, Thursday, March 2.

Minister of Industry Agus was reluctant to reveal the reason why his party did not provide recommendations for PT KCI to import used trains from Japan. According to him, the acceleration of domestic products is still the main reason.

"Tomorrow, we will discuss it. There must be a solution, it can't be made if it's a decision. Our job is to definitely encourage the domestic industry," he said.

Previously, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) Febri Hendri Antoni Arif said that his party did not disfavor KCI for used train imports from Japan, but it would be better to use domestically made products.

"So, the point is that we are not anti-import and our priority is to use domestic products. If there is a need, prioritize buying domestic products, how come our industry can produce it," he told reporters at the Ministry of Industry Office, Jakarta, Tuesday, February 28.

Febri assessed that imports are not the best solution for now. This is because the instructions from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) require all stakeholders to the public to accelerate the growth of domestic products.

"Producing the carriage, right, it takes time, after all, our industry needs time as well and the president's direction is that we use the state budget, APBD, and state-owned taxes to shop for domestic products," he said.

According to Febri, PT KCI should be able to be even more mature in making plans regarding the replacement of carriages that are no longer suitable for new ones, so that there is no need to import.

"Therefore, of course, the plan must be conveyed long ago. We want domestic manufactured products to be purchased, why? Because if it is purchased, it will improve the national economy and domestic industry," he explained.

Therefore, said Febri, his party always reminds the Budget User Authority (KPA), or those who handle spending in BUMN/BUMD to make goods expenditure planning long ago, thus suppressing import activities from foreign countries.

"The capital expenditure is directed at spending on domestic products so that there is an deepening of the domestic industrial structure, in that structure, there is added value in the domestic industry, the economy increases, there is an open employment field and there is also an increase in state revenue from there," explained Febri.