Yogyakarta. President Prabowo Subianto called on his ministers and echelon-1 state officials to replace their imported vehicles with domestically produced cars from the state-owned defense company Pindad, a senior official said on Monday.

In his first week as president, Prabowo has been seen making public appearances in a Pindad-made tactical vehicle, the Maung, greeting crowds from the vehicle’s open sunroof.

Vice Finance Minister Anggito Abimanyu announced that he would begin using the Maung starting next week in line with Prabowo's directive.

“I will start using the Maung produced by Pindad next week, as Mr. Prabowo has instructed that ministers and echelon-1 officials should no longer use imported cars,” Anggito said during a discussion at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.

Anggito, who currently uses a Toyota Alphard as his official vehicle, noted that the Maung was designed by Sigit Puji Santosa, a mechanical engineer from the Bandung Institute of Technology, with approximately 70 percent of its components made locally.

Mandating the switch to Pindad vehicles among high-ranking officials is expected to significantly benefit the Bandung-based company, known for its production of small arms, ammunition, and armored personnel carriers. Prabowo’s cabinet alone includes 109 ministers, vice ministers, and heads of state agencies.

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