Old cars will be used under new government: Kalla

JAKARTA. Vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla said that he — along with president-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his Cabinet members — would use old official cars instead of the new vehicles that the current government was previously planning to buy, after the People’s Consultative Assembly inaugurated him on Oct. 20.

“My car, a Toyota Crown Royal Saloon, is still in good condition although I have used it for 12 years,” he said recently at his house on Jl. Brawijaya in South Jakarta, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

He said that officials at a ministerial level should use official cars with an engine displacement of around 2,000 cubic centimeters (cc). Therefore, their assistants, namely those at a directorate level, should use official cars of lower quality, such as vehicles with an engine displacement of around 1,500cc.

“Like me, governors should also use Toyota Camrys or other cars of similar class. Therefore, bureau heads should use cars of lower class, such as Toyota Avanzas,” he said.

Previously, the current government had chosen Mercedes-Benz to provide official vehicles for new Cabinet members in a deal amounting to Rp 91.94 billion (US$7.77 million), whereby the German carmaker would provide 72 E-Class 400 type cars.

Jokowi voiced his opposition to the procurement of the new vehicles to state secretary Sudi Silalahi, saying that he wanted his Cabinet members to use vehicles currently in operation.

Following Jokowi’s objection, the government decided to cancel the purchase of the Mercedes-Benz sedans. (alz)