West Sumatrans want spin-off be realized<\/p>\n
PADANG, West Sumatra (JP): West Sumatran prominent public
\nfigures and the provincial legislative council have urged
\nPresident Megawati to pay serious attention to their demand for
\nthe spin-off of cement company PT Semen Padang from parent PT
\nSemen Gresik.<\/p>\n
Provincial legislative council speaker Arwan Kasri told the
\nmedia here on Sunday that the council had delivered a petition
\nregarding the community's aspirations about the company's
\nseparation to the President during a closed-door meeting prior to
\nher return to Jakarta on the same day.<\/p>\n
The controversial demand for the separation of PT Semen Padang
\nfrom PT Semen Gresik has been going on for several years -- since
\nthe administration of former president B.J. Habibie and former
\npresident Abdurrahman Wahid -- without any resolution. The local
\ncommunity has been demanding the spin-off due to its concerns
\nover foreign ownership of Semen Gresik.<\/p>\n
Semen Gresik is 25.53 percent owned by the Mexican-based
\ncement maker Cemex SA de CV, which has long expressed a desire to
\nincrease its stake in the company.<\/p>\n
According to the locals, Semen Padang was built on their
\nancestors' land and should therefore remain under Indonesian
\nownership.<\/p>\n
Megawati, according to Arwan, very much understood the wish of
\nthe people and promised to discuss the problem later in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The President even called State Secretary\/Cabinet Secretary
\nBambang Kesowo and Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno to
\nwitness the handover of the petition,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The petition contains three demands, that Semen Padang be
\nseparated from Semen Gresik, that it should not be sold to a
\nforeign firm and that it be made a state enterprise.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that public figures grouped under the Forum
\nfor Minangkabau People's Fight for the Return of Semen Padang
\nasked Megawati to immediately activate the planned spin-off.<\/p>\n
\"We also warned the government not to go on with the put
\noption deal with Cemex,\" Kamardi Rais Datuk Panjang Simulie, a
\nforum chairman, said.<\/p>\n
Kamardi said they were very much disappointed with Habibie's
\nand Abdurrahman's lack of response to their demand. \"That's why
\nnow we are demanding serious attention from President Megawati to
\nseparate PT Semen Padang from Semen Gresik,\" he said, adding that
\nthey had also submitted their demands in a letter delivered to
\nthe President during the closed-door meeting.<\/p>\n
State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi said
\nrecently that he would establish a special team to examine the
\ncontroversial demand.<\/p>\n
Laksamana did not explain the structure of the team, but that
\nit should also listen to the aspirations of local people as well
\nas from the international community before making a decision.
\n(28)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/west-sumatrans-want-spin-off-be-realized-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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