Jet financing plan gets mixed responses<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto's \"call\" for the public to
\nbuy shares in PT Dua Satu Tiga Puluh (DSTP), the company he set
\nup to develop a national passenger jet, is greeted with mixed
\nresponses.<\/p>\n
Positive responses poured in on Saturday from government
\nofficials and state-owned companies. Cautious reactions came from
\nlegislators and opposition was voiced by a non-governmental
\norganization.<\/p>\n
South Kalimantan governor Gusti Hasan Aman is poised to order
\nall regents and mayors in the area to find ways of implementing
\nthe President's instruction.<\/p>\n
\"We will make the arrangement as soon as the central
\ngovernment has issued the directives,\" Gusti Hasan was quoted as
\nsaying by the Antara news agency.<\/p>\n
The President met last week with regents and mayors from
\nacross Indonesia who are expected to coordinate their respective
\nareas in raising funds for the US$2 billion jet project of state
\naircraft maker IPTN.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, who is president commissioner of DSTP, said that the
\ngovernment can raise the money if every Indonesian citizen
\ncontributes Rp 5,000 (US$2.10).<\/p>\n
The governor said the public should not miss the chance to own
\nshares as \"many\" foreign ventures are also interested.<\/p>\n
\"People in South Kalimantan should be ready to partly shoulder
\nthe project. You journalists can also buy the shares if you guys
\nare interested,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 21 state-owned companies under the Ministry of
\nIndustry and Trade have pledged to buy Rp 70 billion (about US$30
\nmillion) worth of shares in the company.<\/p>\n
Aidil Juza, secretary-general of the ministry, said Saturday
\nthat the companies were committed to helping production of the
\ntwin-engine short-distance 130-passenger N-2130 commuter jet.<\/p>\n
Aidil said that the companies planning to buy shares are
\nfinancially \"healthy\". He declined to name the firms.<\/p>\n
State-owned companies under the Ministry of Agriculture and
\nthe Ministry of Forestry also plan to buy DSTP shares.<\/p>\n
Strong opposition to the fund-raising scheme was voiced over
\nthe weekend by the Indonesian Democracy Movement (PaDI).<\/p>\n
PaDI chairman Deni A. Dwiyanto said the plan could trigger
\npublic unrest and \"obscure the legal certainty of people's
\nproperty\".<\/p>\n
Deni said the plan runs counter to the Constitution, which
\nstates that fund-raising for state projects shall be regulated by
\nlaw.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, House of Representatives members called on local
\nadministrations over the weekend not to force the people to buy
\nshares, saying that President Soeharto had made an appeal, not an
\norder, to the public to buy shares.<\/p>\n
Andi Matalatta, a House member from the ruling Golkar party,
\nwas quoted by Kompas as saying that the US$2 billion target
\nshould be achieved through voluntary rather than coercive means.<\/p>\n
House member Oediyanto from the Armed Forces faction pointed
\nout that the government should make sure that the fund-raising
\ndoes not violate any laws.<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise, any legal problems that arise later could be
\ndifficult to handle,\" he said. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jet-financing-plan-gets-mixed-responses-1447893297",
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