Will take time to shift mindsets, switch to EVs: minister

Thepresidentpost.id - Jakarta - Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita has said that it will take time to change the mindset of the Indonesian people and make them switch from using fossil fuel vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs).

"Even in more developed countries, the growth in the use of EVs fell short of their expectations, including in Indonesia. Thus, what the government needs to do now is to change the mindset (of people)," he said in a working meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR), which was followed online here on Monday.

According to him, under the program for the purchase of electric motorcycles, assistance has so far been distributed for only four units of motorcycles. Meanwhile, two units have passed the verification process, and 696 units are still in the registration process.

In fact, the government has readied a quota of 200 thousand units of two-wheeled EVs for the assistance program in 2023.

He emphasized that there are two goals behind encouraging the adoption of EVs in the country. The first goal is reducing emissions as part of the decarbonization effort in the transportation sector, and the second goal is accelerating the development of the EV ecosystem.

The minister underlined that the government is making sure the assistance is provided only to those who are eligible.

Therefore, only those who have been registered as beneficiaries for the micro business productive assistance, wage subsidy assistance, and electricity subsidy are eligible for the electric motorcycle purchase assistance.

"Because this is related to taxpayers, people's money, we must seriously ensure that people who receive the assistance to buy electric motorcycles are not rich people and the middle class," Kartasasmita said.

The subsidy on electric motorcycle purchases is regulated by the Industry Minister's Regulation Number 6 of 2023 regarding the guidelines for the distribution of government assistance for the purchase of two-wheeled battery EVs.

The regulation stipulates a subsidy in the form of a discount of Rp7 million (around US$470) on the purchase of each electric motorcycle. The subsidy was rolled out on March 20, 2023. (ANTARA)