Criticized By The DPRD Regarding The Purchase Of 21 Cars From The DKI Provincial Government's Electricity Service, Regional Secretary: The Order Of The President

JAKARTA - The purchase of 21 electric-based service vehicles at a price of IDR 800 million per unit for the main officials of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government this year has been criticized by the DKI Jakarta DPRD.

Responding to this, the Regional Secretary (Sekda) of DKI Jakarta Joko Agus Setyono emphasized that the procurement of electric service cars was a follow-up to President Joko Widodo's order.

Jokowi's order is contained in Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 7 of 2022 concerning Battery-Based Electric Vehicles (Battery Electric Vehicles) as Vehicles of the Operational and/or Individual Vehicles Service of Central Government Agencies and Regional Governments.

"Yes, (the procurement of electric service vehicles) has become a national priority program that we must strive to fulfill. There is an order that we will use electric cars to reduce the impact of environmental pollution. Indeed, it has become the President's order," said Joko at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Wednesday, February 22.

Even so, Joko emphasized that the purchase of electric official cars does not reduce the budget allocation in the APBD for priority programs for the DKI Provincial Government this year.

Since serving as Acting Governor of DKI, Heru Budi Hartono has a number of priority Jakarta programs ranging from flood management, congestion alleviation, to anticipation of the impact of reducing economic growth.

"(The procurement of electric service vehicles) is a central government program that does have a good purpose. We do it, but it is adjusted to the budget we use," said Joko.

"There are programs that we must prioritize, which are the problems in DKI Jakarta such as floods, traffic, other environmental problems, slum housing, air pollution, and so on. That will be our priority," he continued.

Previously, Member of Commission B of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Gilbert Simanjuntak, assessed that the purchase of an electric service car at a price of Rp. 800 million per unit was not appropriate. According to him, electric cars are not the answer to proper congestion or air pollution.

"Still, the car adds to the number of road users who add to traffic jams. Even though it's interesting, there's no urgent need to use electric cars. The most important problem in Jakarta right now is congestion and pollution that can only be completed by reducing the number of cars on the road," said Gilbert.

According to him, the most appropriate solution to overcome the problem of congestion and reduced air pollution is to increase public transportation capacity. The budget for purchasing electric cars is diverted for programs that are more needed.

"It is better if the plan to purchase an electric car to become an official vehicle is reconsidered. The new regional secretary who has been working on the supervisory side and is now serving upstream as the executor is a question about his understanding of the use of the budget that is in favor of the community," he added.