W. Sumatra renews demand for Semen Padang spin-off<\/p>\n
Syofiardi Bachyul, Padang<\/p>\n
Dozens of local public leaders and senior politicians have
\nrenewed their pressure on the central government to spin off West
\nSumatra-based cement maker PT Semen Padang from its parent
\ncompany PT Semen Gresik.<\/p>\n
They issued a petition signed by a group of prominent local
\nleaders during a rally at the West Sumatra governor's office on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
The rally, organized by the province's Indonesian Youth
\nNational Committee (KNPI), involved more than 200 protesters.<\/p>\n
The petition's signatories included former West Sumatra police
\nchief Insp. Gen. Dasrul Lamsudin, the owner of Singgalang daily
\nBasril Djabbar, economist Revrisond Baswir and local tribal
\nleader Kamardi Rais Datuk P. Simulie.<\/p>\n
Other signatories were West Sumatra legislative speaker Arwan
\nKasri and his deputy Titi Nazif Lubuk, Pasaman Regent Baharuddin
\nR., who also chairs the provincial chapter of the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP), as well as local leader of the
\nProsperous Justice Party (PKS) Mahyeldi Ansharullah.<\/p>\n
Other senior politicians who signed the statement were West
\nSumatra leaders of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the National
\nMandate Party (PAN), the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PIB) and
\nthe PKPI.<\/p>\n
Leaders of youth and student organizations, including the
\nKNPI, the Muhammadiyah Youth Association, the Kaabah Youth
\nMovement and the Hizbullah Brigade also expressed support for the
\npetition.<\/p>\n
However, West Sumatra Governor Zainal Bakar refused to join
\nthe signatories, although he was given a similar petition on Oct.
\n31, which he did sign and promised to carry it through to pursue
\nthe demanded spin-off of Semen Padang from Semen Gresik.<\/p>\n
The protesters therefore demanded that the authority to
\nfacilitate the spin-off be revoked from the governor.<\/p>\n
Zainal's deputy, Fachri Ahmad, argued that the governor is the
\nrepresentative of the central government.<\/p>\n
\"Our task is only to channel the people's aspirations, not to
\nsign it. It would be odd for us to do so. Should the mandate be
\nlifted, it's no problem because with or without it we will
\ncontinue to work to satisfy the public's aspirations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators also demanded that the central government
\nhalt the sale process of all state assets, including Semen
\nPadang, to foreign investors.<\/p>\n
They instead backed the demand by the Minang Maimbau
\nFoundation for the cancellation of Semen Padang's acquisition by
\nSemen Gresik in 1995.<\/p>\n
Last September, the new president director of Semen Padang Dwi
\nSutjipto, reiterated his commitment to the spin-off of his
\ncompany from Semen Gresik, saying preparations for the spin-off
\nwere now in progress.<\/p>\n
But it was unclear whether the preparations were completed or
\nnot.<\/p>\n
The statement came one day after Dwi and his management team
\nmanaged to take over Semen Padang's management on Sept. 10, 2003
\nafter months of failed attempts. Dwi and his management team
\nentered the office, guarded by hundreds of armed military and
\npolice personnel.<\/p>\n
Dwi was appointed by Gresik's shareholders in a meeting in May
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
One of the reasons behind the thorny dispute was a demand from
\nSemen Padang's old management and the company's workers union as
\nwell as the West Sumatra provincial administration that Semen
\nPadang be spun off from Gresik.<\/p>\n
Semen Padang's shares are 99.99 percent controlled by Gresik,
\nwhich is itself 51 percent owned by the government, 23.46 percent
\nby the public and 25.53 percent by Mexico's Cemex SA de CV, who
\nbecame Gresik shareholders in 1998.<\/p>\n
Besides Semen Padang, Semen Gresik fully owns South Sulawesi-
\nbased Semen Tonasa, which reportedly has also demanded a spin-
\noff.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/w-sumatra-renews-demand-for-semen-padang-spin-off-1447893297",
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