House of Representatives Agrees to Accept 1.9 Billion Yen Patrol Boat Grant from Japan
Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) has approved the acceptance of a grant worth 1.9 billion Japanese yen from the Government of Japan for patrol boats under Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme for fiscal year 2025.
The grant was approved during a plenary session held on Thursday (19 February).
“We now put it to the honourable members of this session: can the report of Commission I of the DPR on the approval of the acceptance of the 18-metre class patrol boat grant from the Government of Japan be approved?” asked House Speaker Puan Maharani during the session.
“Agreed,” responded the session participants.
The grant had previously been approved in a working meeting between Commission I of the DPR and the Ministry of Defence and the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) on Tuesday (10 February).
Deputy Minister of Defence Donny Ermawan said Indonesia also received a grant under the same programme in 2024.
He noted that the value of this latest grant could cover three to four patrol boat units.
“Last year we received two vessels worth 1 billion Japanese yen. This year, the 2025 allocation that was discussed earlier, we are also receiving 1.9 billion Japanese yen. We held a meeting with Commission I of the DPR, and in essence the Government and the DPR agreed to accept the grant from the Government of Japan,” said Donny at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He said the additional defence equipment would have a significant impact on the Indonesian Navy’s capacity to secure Indonesian waters.
From an operational standpoint, he noted that the patrol boats are well-suited for deployment in Indonesian waters.
From an economic perspective, Indonesia does not need to spend a single rupiah from the state budget.
“We simply receive them. The equipment provided is adequate for non-combatant purposes. Furthermore, from a foreign relations standpoint, this will strengthen our cooperative relationship with Japan,” he said.