Prabowo slams ‘inefficient’ spending by regional officials, including governor’s US$500,000 official car
This comes after East Kalimantan governor Rudy Mas’ud returned his 8.5 billion rupiah (US$502,304) official vehicle following widespread public criticism over what many considered as excessive spending.
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JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has criticised regional government spending as unproductive and inefficient, alluding to a governor’s recent purchase of an official car worth 8.5 billion rupiah (US$502,304).
"I think many officials are inefficient. You can see for yourself. Let's be honest. There are districts and regional governments; how much did the governor buy the official car (for)? 8 billion rupiah," Prabowo said on Thursday (Mar 19) at a discussion with experts and journalists at his private residence in Bogor.
While Prabowo did not name the governor in question, his comment follows a much-publicised controversy surrounding East Kalimantan governor Rudy Mas’ud earlier this month.
On Mar 2, Rudy returned his 8.5 billion rupiah official vehicle - a Range Rover 3.0 Autobiography LWB - following widespread public criticism over what many considered as excessive spending.
“I have decided to return the car after carefully listening to and considering the aspirations and constructive feedback of the people of East Kalimantan. A good government is one that listens and has the courage to make wise decisions,” Rudy said in a statement, according to local media.
Rudy also emphasised that returning the luxury vehicle would not disrupt government operations or compromise public services and assured residents that government operations would continue to run effectively.
“Constructive criticism will, God willing, serve as our motivation to build a stronger and more successful East Kalimantan,” he said, adding that he chose the Range Rover to uphold East Kalimantan’s image as the home of the new capital, Nusantara.
“Our administration frequently hosts guests from across Indonesia and abroad. Our facilities must reflect the region’s dignity and not appear inferior to outsiders. I do not want East Kalimantan to be seen as poor,” he said.
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In contrast to Rudy’s car, Prabowo stressed that he uses a domestically-made vehicle, valued at a much lower price.
“I am the president of Indonesia. I use a Maung car made in Indonesia. It costs 700 million (rupiah). Maybe because it’s for the president, it has bulletproof features, and might be 1 billion rupiah. But it’s nowhere near 8 billion rupiah,” he said.
Prabowo added that use of the public funds for officials’ luxury purchases undermines efficiency principles promoted by the central government, pointing to more urgent expenditures, such as constructing village bridges, that have not been met.
“Many expenditures that should be carried out by regencies and provinces are not being implemented. Take bridges, for example – village bridges. People have to protest, and the president has to step in,” Prabowo said.
“But fine, I will take responsibility. So we must be transparent, we must be fair.”
The East Kalimantan administration purchased the Range Rover 3.0 Autobiography LWB in November 2025. It costs seven times more than Prabowo’s official presidential vehicle and featured off-road capabilities and a terrain response system for surfaces like mud, rocks and sand.
The standard model is priced at around 7.43 billion rupiah, with added costs depending on optional features, interior customisation, safety packages and technology upgrades.
The Range Rover complied with specifications set by the Home Ministry in 2006, which allows governors to have two official vehicles: one sedan with a maximum 3,000 cc engine and one SUV or jeep with a maximum 4,200 cc engine, Rudy said.
The vehicle remained in Jakarta after it was purchased in November 2025 and was never used in official travel or government operations, according to Head of East Kalimantan Communication and Information Agency Muhammad Faisal.
“We have communicated with the dealer, and fortunately it understands our position and has agreed to take the vehicle back,” Faisal was quoted as saying by local news outlet detik.com.
The central government cut 306.69 trillion rupiah in budget spending in January 2025, including 50.59 trillion rupiah from transfers to regions and has maintained this policy in the 2026 state budget.
The cuts have forced many regional administrations to scale back programmes and tighten spending to balance their budgets, reported local news outlet The Jakarta Post.
It also reported that Rudy’s purchase had sparked criticism from others besides the president, including member of House of Representatives Commission II Ahmad Irawan, who urged the Home Ministry to revise the 2006 regulation on governors’ official vehicles to prevent similar controversies in the future.
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