REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesia Military (TNI) has set up a new group in the Presidential Security Force (Paspampres) with a special task of providing close physical security to former presidents, vice presidents and their families.

"Certainly, more personnel will be recruited following the setting up of Group D, but it is not very significant yet. We will optimize the existing ones. Of course, there will also be an increase in the budget because any change in organization always requires an additional budget," TNI commander General Moeldoko stated after inaugurating the Group at Paspampres Headquarters here, on Monday.

He added that the new Group D was a validation of the organization and duties of Paspampres based on Presidential Regulation Number 59.2013 on government regulation for the security of president and vice president, former presidents and vice presidents and their families as well as heads of state/government-level state guests.

Moedoko pointed out that security of former presidents and vice presidents had actually been carried out so far but it was not yet slotted into a certain organization and therefore, following an evaluation, it was decided that a special organization was needed for it.

"So, we have actually provided security for former presidents and vice presidents, but it was not organized and so, the implementation of control command was difficult to carry out. With the issuance of the presidential regulation everything will be made clear: the responsibility, the budget and personnel are clear," he elaborated.

The Group D will work effectively from the day it is inaugurated; although the budget is still limited, it will slowly and certainly be raised, he added.

"There are 287 personnel involved in the group, with each president or vice president or security object being secured by a team of 30 personnel. Sometimes, the person concerned may not like to be accompanied continuously by the team and so, in that case, we will adjust the arrangement accordingly, in line with the needs of the person concerned," he explained.

Paspampres commander Major General Doni Monardo meanwhile added that Paspampres formerly had three groups namely Group A, which is assigned to physically secure, within a close range, the president and his/her family; Group B, which is assigned to secure the vice president and his/her family physically within a close range and Group C, which is assigned to secure heads of state/government-level state guests.

Based on the president regulation Number 59/2013, the TNI issued a TNI Commander regulation number 27/2013, signed in December 2013, for the setting up of Group D.

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