President Opens Possibility for Electric Motorcycles to Be Used by Other Institutions

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has stated that President Prabowo Subianto is open to the possibility of electric motorcycles, purchased using the state budget (APBN) for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, being utilised by other ministries or agencies. “Yesterday, there were indeed several proposals for their utilisation, for example from the Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga)/BKKBN for things like this (cadres or counsellors delivering MBG to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, or toddlers), then from agriculture, from teachers, as well, but please submit the request to the President,” said BGN Deputy Head Agustina Arumsari in Jakarta on Tuesday. She emphasised that any ministry or institution wishing to use the motorcycles can submit their requirements for assessment by the President’s team, as the vehicles are not actually needed by the heads of the Nutrition Service Fulfilment Units (SPPG). “We will just follow along because originally these were for the SPPG heads, who we feel do not need them. Their function is more about internal supervision; they do not need a motorcycle or field operations and so on,” she said. She added that the motorcycles have already been procured and are trail-type models, which may not be suitable for all users. “It’s already a trail motorbike, you know, meaning it might not be suitable for women. These are things that must be considered because we are not starting from scratch with the procurement; there are a certain number of trail bikes, a certain number of standard bikes, these things must be taken into account,” she said. She stressed that the procurement of the electric motorcycles was paid for with state funds and was not the result of corruption, so any mark-up in the procurement will be the responsibility of the suspects and any restitution will be returned to the state budget.