Ministry Of Defense Affirms Reduce Shopping For Imported Products In Today's Memory, April 25, 2022

Several types of weapons produced by PT Perindustrian TNI Army Pindad). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA Memories of today, three years ago, April 25, 2022, the Ministry of Defense (Kemhan) emphasized that it would reduce spending on imported products. The Ministry of Defense will also prioritize spending on domestic products when procuring goods and services, including defense equipment.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was irritated by the large number of imported products entering Indonesia. Jokowi was angry with his staff. The narrative made him ask the entire cabinet to immediately spend the budget for domestic products.

Imported products flood Indonesia not new news. The image of imported goods that have quality is behind it. Not to mention the matter of imported goods which actually have cheaper than domestic products.

This condition makes people switch from domestic products to imports. The case is that the trend of using imported goods is not only carried out individually. The ministry's ranks are also proud of bringing in many imported products in the procurement of goods and services.

Many also only use domestic products as a backup option. This condition brings pain to the domestic industry. The business development is on the way. In fact, the government should fully support the development of the domestic industry.

News that the ranks of ministries often prioritize imported products in the procurement of goods and services to Jokowi's ears. The President of Indonesia is furious and not playing. He admitted that he was disappointed with his staff who did not prioritize domestic products.

Jokowi said the budget was there. It's also big. The problem is that the use of funds is actually carried out to buy imported products. Jokowi immediately issued Presidential Instruction No. 2 of 2022 concerning the Acceleration of Increasing Use of Domestic Products and Products of Micro Enterprises, Small Businesses, and Cooperatives on March 30, 2022.

Stipulate and/or change policies and/or laws and regulations to accelerate the increasing use of domestic products and empowerment of Micro Enterprises, Small Businesses, and Cooperatives. Planning, allocating, and realizing the Procurement of Government Goods/Services that use domestic products in Ministries/Agencies and Regional Governments.

Planned, allocated, and realized at least 40 percent of the value of the goods/service budget. Everything is to use products of Micro Enterprises, Small Businesses, and Cooperatives from domestic production," wrote Jokowi.

Jokowi's Presidential Instruction regarding the instruction to buy domestic products is immediately taken seriously. The Ministry of Defense does not want to be left behind. They emphasized that they would reduce spending on imported products on April 25, 2022. They are committed to prioritizing domestic products when procuring goods and services, especially the procurement of defense equipment.

The Ministry of Defense wants to show the Indonesian people that they and the TNI are also proud to use domestic products. As a result, the Ministry of Defense immediately prepared data on the procurement of new goods and services. The goal is that in the future there will be more absorbed funds for domestic products.

"Following up on the President's Instruction to use Domestic Products as a form of Proud Made in Indonesia, the Ministry of Defense and the TNI spend the budget for domestic products and the contract process has been signed," said Secretary General of the Ministry of Defense Marsdya TNI Donny Ermawan Taufanto as quoted by the Ministry of Defense.go.id page, April 25, 2022.