Purbaya Agrees to Defer Pick-up Truck Imports for Merah Putih Cooperative Following Dasco's Request

Purbaya on Postponing the Import of Pick-up Trucks for the Merah Putih Cooperative: We Will Follow Mr Dasco’s Instructions

• [Mohammad Yudha Prasetya]

Jakarta, VIVA – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that he agrees with the request from Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, to postpone the plan to import 105,000 pick-up trucks from India. It is known that these vehicles are intended for the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP) programme.

Dasco had previously urged the government to postpone the import plan. According to him, the plan needs to be postponed because President Prabowo Subianto is still on a working visit abroad. He also believes that the President will discuss the details of the plan.

“Mr Dasco commented yesterday, and we will follow Mr Dasco’s instructions,” Purbaya told reporters at the Ministry of Finance office, Jakarta, on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.

Purbaya believes that President Prabowo Subianto has a clear stance on the plan. He wants to promote domestic industry, including the automotive sector.

“In my opinion, the President’s aim should be to promote domestic industry. I think the President’s position is clear on this matter,” he said.

News regarding the import of pick-up trucks by PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara was announced by the Indian automotive company, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), on their company website on 4 February 2026. M&M announced that it would supply 35,000 units of Scorpio pick-up trucks.

On 20 February 2026, the President Director of Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota, confirmed to the media in the country that 105,000 vehicles would be imported from the Indian company. Hundreds of thousands of these vehicles consist of 35,000 units of 4x4 pick-up trucks from M&M, followed by 35,000 units of 4x4 pick-ups and 35,000 units of six-wheeled trucks from Tata Motors.

However, the President Director of Agrinas, Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota, said that his company is ready to follow the instructions from the Indonesian House of Representatives to postpone the import of pick-up trucks from India. He also assured that further action regarding the units that have arrived in Indonesia will still await official instructions from the government before being used or distributed. (Ant)