Amien questions privatization plan<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais
\nquestioned on Friday the government's plan to sell a number of
\nstate companies, saying that the policy would cause the nation to
\nsuffer losses in the future.<\/p>\n
Amien expressed fear of a possible rise in the number of
\nunemployed if those state companies were sold to foreign
\ninvestors.<\/p>\n
\"If the government continues this move, I fear this nation
\nwill go bankrupt in the near future,\" Amien said after receiving
\nprotesting employees from the Bandung-based PT Pos Indonesia at
\nhis office in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Amien said that if the foreign investors controlled the major
\nstate companies, they could possibly not employ Indonesian
\nworkers, thereby leading to massive unemployment.<\/p>\n
It would be fortunate for even low-ranking Indonesian workers
\nto be recruited, he said.<\/p>\n
\"I don't understand why there is a government which wants to
\nsell its state companies,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
A consortium led by U.S.-based Farallon last month purchased
\n51 percent of BCA, the country's largest retail bank.<\/p>\n
The government is planning to sell another 25 state companies
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
The moves are part of efforts to raise Rp 6.5 trillion to plug
\nthe budget deficit. The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency
\n(IBRA) is targeting collecting Rp 33.5 trillion from the sale of
\nassets of non-performing banks.<\/p>\n
Among the state companies to be sold off are PT Angkasa Pura
\n(airport), PT Pelindo (seaport), PT Indo Farma (pharmaceutical),
\nPT Pupuk Kaltim (fertilizer), PT Sarinah (shopping mall), PT
\nKrakatau Steel (steel), PT Telkom, PT Indosat
\n(telecommunications) and PT Kimia Farma (pharmaceutical).<\/p>\n
Amien admitted that he fully understood the paradigm of the
\ncapital market regime, which was marked with privatization, free
\nmarkets and the absence of import duties.<\/p>\n
As a sovereign country with patriotism, however, the sales of
\nstate firms must be the last choice, he said.<\/p>\n
\"If there is another way, selling state firm should be
\navoided.\"<\/p>\n
Quoting information from Minister of National Development
\nPlanning Kwik Kian Gie, Amien said that the sale of Bank Niaga
\nwas just a matter of time.<\/p>\n
According to Amien, the Soekarno-Hatta international airport
\nhad been offered to the management of the Schiphol airport in the
\nNetherlands.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/amien-questions-privatization-plan-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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