Merpati's chief Ridwan replaced by Budiarto<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): PT Merpati Nusantara's president Ridwan
\nFataruddin, as widely predicted, was replaced yesterday by
\nBudiarto Subroto, formerly the commercial director of the airline
\nand an assistant to Minister of Transportation Haryanto
\nDhanutirto.<\/p>\n
Budiarto was installed together with the other members of the
\nnew Merpati board of directors by Soepandi, the chief
\ncommissioner of Merpati.<\/p>\n
"The replacement of officials is a natural event within an
\norganization and is in fact part of the dynamic process within a
\ncorporate entity," Soepandi noted, apparently in an attempt to
\nstop the controversy which has preceded Ridwan's sacking.<\/p>\n
Only one member of the old board of directors -- Technical
\nDirector Mulyono -- was reappointed. The other directors
\ninstalled yesterday are Ishak Sumawuriah, the new financial
\ndirector replacing Sjarifuddin Iteroeddin, Agus R.S. Santoso the
\ncommercial director replacing Budiarto Subroto, and Prasetyo
\nWisaksono Sambodo the operations director replacing Amin Kahar.<\/p>\n
Both Ridwan and Sjarifuddin did not attend the installation
\nceremony at the Garuda headquarters building.<\/p>\n
"This replacement was prepared in August," insisted Soepandi,
\nwho is also president of Garuda, the national flag carrier and
\nMerpati's mother company.<\/p>\n
He flatly denied that Ridwan's dismissal was related to his
\nwidely-publicized refusal to lease 16 CN-235 aircraft from PT
\nArthasaka Nusaphala, which is owned jointly by the Bakrie and
\nHumpuss groups.<\/p>\n
"We are still negotiating with them (Arthasaka) and we are
\noptimistic about concluding a mutually beneficial deal," Soepandi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Speculation about Ridwan's replacement ran rampant following
\nhis statement two weeks ago that the airline would not lease the
\n16 CN-235-200 aircraft because the leasing fee, US$110,000 per
\nunit a month, was commercially unfeasible.<\/p>\n
His sacking became certain after Minister Haryanto disclosed,
\nthrough Air Transport Director General Zainuddin Sikado early
\nthis week, that the finance minister, as the nominee government
\nshareholder in state companies, had approved Ridwan's
\nreplacement.<\/p>\n
Sikado said Ridwan was being replaced partly because he
\nallegedly violated procedures during the construction of the new
\nMerpati headquarters in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Ridwan, however, immediately rebutted Sikado's remarks,
\noutlining the procedures which had been fulfilled before the
\nproject was finally approved by M. Soeparno, the chief
\ncommissioner of Merpati at that time. The building project was
\napproved 17 months before Ridwan was appointed Merpati's
\npresident in August 1992.<\/p>\n
Soepandi said Merpati, as a state company, has a double
\nfunction: As a commercial entity, it must be managed
\nprofessionally and efficiently with sound business senses, but as
\na state company it is responsible for supporting the government's
\nprograms.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Thursday, several newspapers leaked the contents of
\na letter from the chief of the Government Audit Agency to the
\nministers of finance and transportation dated Sept. 12, 1995. It
\ndisclosed that Merpati had lost money operating the eight Fokker-
\n28s it leased from Arthasaka.<\/p>\n
Arthasaka is the same private company which may lease to
\nMerpati the 16 CN-235 planes it bought from the state-owned IPTN
\naerospace company in Bandung.<\/p>\n
IPTN is chaired by State Minister of Research and Technology
\nB.J. Habibie, the tireless champion of high-tech industry in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The government's chief auditor strongly urged the two
\nministers to terminate Merpati's lease contract or change its
\nterms. Otherwise, Merpati would lose Rp 20.78 billion (US$9.2
\nmillion) a year from operating the Fokker-28s, it said.<\/p>\n
Soepandi declined to comment on the audit agency's findings,
\nsaying he had yet to study the auditors' report.<\/p>\n
Two of the new Merpati directors installed yesterday are
\nformer officials of the Ministry of Transportation. (04\/vin)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/merpatis-chief-ridwan-replaced-by-budiarto-1447893297",
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