Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. President Joko Widodo called on the Indonesian National Police (INP)and Indonesian Military to support domestic products by procuring the needs of their personnel such as uniforms to weapons from local producers.

"We can produce uniforms and export them to all countries (but) we buy them from outside. We can also produce shoes and weapons," he said during the Inauguration Ceremony of the Business Matching of Domestic Products in 2023, in Jakarta on Wednesday (3/15/2023).

The President said that the INP and the Indonesian MIlitary should be able to import advanced equipment such as fighter planes because Indonesia is not able produce them yet. However, for weapons, bullets and uniforms that are already produced within the country, he said that they do not need to import such equipments.

"We are capable of producing guns and bullets, let alone just producing shoes. Why do we have to buy from outside?," the president said.

He shared story from Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, a retired military general, that one particular vendor has been supplying food for the Indonesian military for a long time.

"Soldier food. General Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan whispered to me, 'Mr. President, since I was a soldier until I retired, and now I am a minister, the vendor of goods (soldiers' food) is the same. The more vendors, the better, because prices are getting more competitive," said the President.

(ndt/af/hn/um)