Soeharto 'disallowed imports by Pertamina'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An official hinted yesterday that the decade-
\nlong monopoly over fuel and crude oil imports held by companies
\ncontrolled by Soeharto's family and cronies had been granted on
\nthe order of the former president himself.<\/p>\n
Chief of the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP)
\nSoedarjono said yesterday the body had once proposed to the House
\nof Representatives that Pertamina be allowed to import fuel and
\ncrude oil itself to increase efficiency instead of hiring
\nbrokers, but that Soeharto rejected the proposal.<\/p>\n
"'That's my responsibility' the (then) president (Soeharto)
\nsaid. As a government agency, we felt it was no longer our
\nresponsibility to pursue that matter (monopoly) further,"
\nSoedarjono was quoted by Antara as saying at a news conference.<\/p>\n
The news conference was held following public calls to
\ndissolve the comptroller since it has been considered ineffective
\ngiven the rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism during
\nSoeharto's 32-year term as president.<\/p>\n
The comptroller, which is in charge of auditing state finances
\nas well as state companies, is also seen as redundant since many
\nof its responsibilities overlap with the Supreme Audit Agency.<\/p>\n
Soedarjono did not specify when the proposal to the House was
\nmade but said it was suggested by Gandhi who headed BPKP between
\n1983 and 1993.<\/p>\n
Pertamina has been obliged for decades to import crude oil and
\nfuel products through Perta Oil Marketing Ltd. and crude oil from
\nPermindo Oil Trading Co. Ltd.<\/p>\n
Pertamina president Soegianto recently said in a letter to the
\nHouse that Perta was 30 percent owned by Pertamina, 20 percent by
\nPertamina's pension fund, 25 percent by the Nusamba Group and 25
\npercent by Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra, alias
\nTommy. Nusamba, controlled by Soeharto's friend Mohammad "Bob"
\nHasan, also includes foundations owned by Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Permindo is 35 percent owned by Pertamina and 65 percent owned
\nby Mindo Petroleum. Mindo is owned by Bambang Trihatmodjo with a
\n14.1 percent stake, Soeharto's cousin Sudwikatmono (20.6
\npercent), Soeharto's son-in-law Indra Rukmana (14.1 percent),
\nNirwan Bakrie (22.8 percent), Syarief Sutardjo (7.6 percent),
\nMohammad Tachriel Sapi'ie (7.1 percent), Rosano Barack (7.1
\npercent) and Aminusal Amien (6.6 percent).<\/p>\n
Tachriel Sap'ie recently replaced Bambang as the president of
\nthe Bimantara Group.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, though a petroleum exporting country, imports
\nbetween 15 percent and 20 percent of its annual fuel consumption
\nof 52 million kiloliters due to the limited capacity of
\nPertamina's refineries.<\/p>\n
Pertamina also imports about 70 million barrels of crude oil,
\nmainly from the Middle East, to feed its refineries.<\/p>\n
Soegianto said Perta and Permindo received a commission of 10
\nU.S. cents per barrel from Pertamina alone.<\/p>\n
Pertamina is planning to form a trading division to import
\nfuel and crude oil itself.<\/p>\n
Perta and Permindo also reportedly enjoys the exclusive rights
\nto export Pertamina's crude oil to all destinations, except for
\nJapan, which is the largest importing country for Indonesian
\ncrude oil.<\/p>\n
The crude oil export to Japan is handled by Pacific Petroleum
\nMarketing Ltd., which is equally owned by Pertamina and a
\nJapanese business group that buys the crude oil. (jsk)<\/p>",
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