Parties out to exploit state firms: Sources<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State companies remain highly vulnerable to
\nexploitation as cash cows for political groups like they were
\nunder previous political administrations, informed sources said
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
Officials at the Office of the State Minister of Investment
\nand State Companies Development Laksamana Sukardi disclosed that
\nmany vested-interest political groups aggressively lobbied to
\nhave their choice of representative appointed to boards of
\ndirectors of state companies.<\/p>\n
The sources, who requested anonymity, said Laksamana was
\nincreasingly frustrated because his drive to clean up state
\ncompanies from corruption was often undermined by politically
\nwell-connected officials in his own office.<\/p>\n
They added that some top officials at Laksamana's office were
\nfound to have misused the minister's name for payment or other
\nforms of personal favors from state companies' management.<\/p>\n
Laksamana's predecessor, Tanri Abeng, who is now a suspect in
\na corruption case related to the Bank Bali scandal, also
\nexpressed concern over what he called the use of state companies
\nas a political instrument.<\/p>\n
\"I heard several state companies' directors complain of
\nuncertainty about their real function due to strong intervention
\nfrom outside to make the public companies a political instrument
\nfor certain groups,\" Tanri said in Bandung over the weekend.<\/p>\n
He added the practice must be stopped or state companies would
\nbecome uncompetitive and eventually be edged out of the market.<\/p>\n
Several members of the House of Representatives also have
\nexpressed concern that many state companies were managed by
\ncorrupt officials appointed during Soeharto's administration.<\/p>\n
\"It is deplorable that not all senior officials at Minister
\nLaksamana's office fully support the cleanup campaign at state
\ncompanies,\" Didi Supriyadi of the House finance and budget
\ncommission said.<\/p>\n
Didi said what has been dubbed the fit-and-proper test
\nconducted to screen professional managers with high integrity for
\nstate companies' boards of directors appeared to have been
\nmanipulated by some political groups to ensure their choices were
\npicked.<\/p>\n
Another House member, Usman Ermulan, recommended that
\nindependent assessments be assured through the selection of
\npersonnel for state companies' boards of directors under clear-
\ncut guidelines by an interministerial team.<\/p>",
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