Airlines owe $30m to Pertamina
JAKARTA (JP): State oil and gas company Pertamina's president Soegianto has said Pertamina is owed over US$30 million by the Garuda, Merpati and Sempati airlines for late payment of aviation fuel.
He said Garuda owed Pertamina Rp 103 billion and $12.8 million for the purchase of aviation fuel. It also has to pay Rp 10.8 billion and $3 million in fines for delaying the payment.
Sempati owes Pertamina $4.3 million for aviation fuel and has to pay another $537,000 in fines for delaying the payment.
Sempati stopped operations last month due to financial difficulties.
Merpati owes Pertamina $1.9 million and has to pay another $66,000 in fines for delaying the payment.
Speaking Wednesday at a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR), Soegianto said Pertamina had notified Garuda that it must pay cash for fuel starting June 1, while Merpati must pay cash beginning May 1.
"Garuda has filed a protest with the minister of mines and energy (Kuntoro Mangkusubroto) against Pertamina's move," Soegianto told Commission V for mines and energy during the hearing.
At the hearing, legislators also questioned a swap deal between Pelita Air Service and the bankrupt aircraft manufacturer Fokker NV of the Netherlands.
Djusril Djusan of the Golkar grouping and FX Suyitno of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction said the deal, in which Pelita had to swap its seven old Fokker 28 with five new Fokker 70 several years ago, had caused a major financial loss to the airline company, a subsidiary of Pertamina.
Pelita had received one Fokker 70 in exchange for two Fokker 28 before the Dutch aircraft manufacturer went bankrupt in March, 1996. The bankruptcy led to the termination of the deal.
"I don't understand why Pelita made a deal which clearly caused it losses," Djusril said in a hearing between Pertamina and the DPR.
Djusril said the swap of Pelita's two Fokker 28 for one new Fokker 70 was not fair because the two were much more valuable than one new Fokker 70.
He said that Pelita, therefore, deserved some compensation from the Fokker trustee which handled Fokker's debts after bankruptcy.
Pelita's president, Oedijono, said Pelita did not ask for compensation from Fokker because the deal was fair enough.
He said one Fokker 70 costs $26.6 million, much more expensive than the two old Fokker 28 owned by Pelita, which both were valued at $2.5 million.
Djusril and Suyitno could not accept Oedijono's explanation.
"I don't think Fokker was willing to suffer a loss. It's Pelita which suffered a loss," Suyitno said.
After a long debate, commission vice chairman Supartanida, who headed the hearing, concluded that the commission needed to hold a special hearing with Pelita to study the case further. The special hearing will be held on July 16.
Pelita suffered a loss of Rp 16.7 billion ($1.1 million) in 1996/1997. (jsk)