REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) urged the country's aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI) to prioritize the development of inter-island air transportation in accordance with Indonesia's geographical characteristics, such as developing a 30 to 60-seater aircraft.

"In my opinion, a good aircraft for our country is one that has a capacity to carry 30 to 60 passengers," President Jokowi stated while visiting PT DI here on Monday night.

The president asserted that Indonesia required a product that demonstrated the superiority of a country.

However, he noted that PT DI also needed to gain an understanding regarding the products that need to be prioritized.

"So, PT DI must focus on the development of products. I want to create a plan for the next 50-100 years, "he affirmed.

Jokowi emphasized that PT DI should focus on the development of an aircraft that can carry 30 to 60 passengers. The aircraft can be utilized to transport passengers across islands.

Before visiting PT DI, President Joko Widodo also inspected state-owned land-system and weapons manufacturer, PT Pindad.

Jokowi urged Pindad to boost its production and market by increasing the percentage of arms sales in the commercial sector apart from its traditional customers such as the military and police.

"I encourage Pindad to increase its production, and it also depends on marketing," he remarked.

The president emphasized that the marketing and sales of Pindad should not depend on the military and police.

The president also revealed that 95 percent of Pindad's production was for domestic needs and only five percent was for exports.

In the meantime, the production for meeting the domestic demand was only about 20 percent, or one-fifth entered the commercial market.

"There are still a lot of opportunities," he added.

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