President needs more wheels

President needs more wheels

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta

The government has asked the approval of the House of Representatives to purchase presidential cars to be placed in several major cities in the country.

State Secretary Bambang Kesowo said on Wednesday the purchase would reduce the cost of visits there by the head of state.

"Up until now, if the president visits certain provinces, we must bring the presidential cars from Jakarta by plane, which costs us a lot," Bambang told members of the House Commission I for political and security affairs.

The cars could be readied for the president in Denpasar, Bali; Makassar, South Sulawesi; Medan, North Sumatra; Palembang, South Sumatra and Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Bambang said.

A convoy always comprises a front car, a car for presidential guards, the presidential car, a rear guard car, a protocol car and an ambulance.

"Of course there will be extra cars for a governor, regents, chairmen of legislature bodies and local security guards who welcome the visiting president, but they are not mandatory," Bambang said.

He said the official presidential cars in those designated cities could be used by the current and future presidents.

Regarding the president's overseas visits, Bambang said the government leased a Garuda Indonesia airplane for the trips.

"The rental rate for an overseas visit is determined by the Ministry of Finance and the fund to lease the aircraft is not managed by the State Secretariat," he said.

During the tenure of former president Abdurrahman Wahid between 1999 and 2001, the government planned to buy a presidential aircraft, but the House rejected the proposal.