Agrinas Food and Car Imports: When Efficiency Trumps Nationalism
Agrinas Food’s decision to import cars is not just a business matter, but a symbol of the failure of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to understand their role as drivers of national development. The ‘efficiency’ argument they put forward sounds convincing on paper, but if examined more closely, it actually betrays the President’s directives and the spirit of national industrialisation (Mobnas).
The President of Indonesia has repeatedly emphasised that domestic products should be prioritised. The Mobnas programme and the campaign to promote the use of local products are not just slogans, but strategies to encourage industry, create jobs, and strengthen economic independence. Ironically, Agrinas has chosen the path of imports, placing short-term profits above the long-term interests of the nation.
The efficiency argument put forward by Agrinas is actually short-sighted. They are imitating the international mindset that buying cars from abroad is cheaper, but they ignore one crucial thing: after-sales service and the impact on the domestic industry. Imported cars often face limitations in terms of spare parts, warranties, and service, which ultimately adds to the cost and risk for consumers. Meanwhile, local products not only strengthen the supply chain, but also guarantee reliable after-sales service. This kind of efficiency is just an illusion: cheap at first, expensive later.
More surprisingly, this decision reveals a short-sighted mindset among large SOEs. Instead of being a driver of strengthening the national industry, Agrinas places short-term logic above development strategy. This kind of decision weakens the credibility of SOEs, sends a negative signal to the local industry, and creates the perception that loyalty to national directives can be compromised for short-term interests.
If SOEs fail to uphold the principle of Mobnas, who else will drive the development of the national industry? In this context, car imports are not just an economic issue, but a symbolic and strategic one: loyalty to nationalism is being tested, the local industry is being harmed, and the public risks losing the quality of service that should be their right as consumers.
It is time for SOEs like Agrinas to think about long-term strategies, placing national interests and the sustainability of the industry above mere efficiency calculations. Local products must be strengthened, after-sales service guaranteed, and Mobnas implemented not as a slogan, but as a real practice. If not, short-term efficiency will sacrifice the future of the industry and Indonesia’s economic independence.