Econit steps up campaign against import inspection
JAKARTA (JP): The Econit economic research institute stepped up its campaign against the preshipment inspection of Indonesian imports by alleging that PT Surveyor Indonesia had suffered big losses.
Econit's Chairman Rizal Ramli voiced his wonder at a news conference on Friday as to why the government had decided to extend the contract with PT Surveyor Indonesia (PTSI), to carry out preshipment inspection of imports, for another two years.
Supporting his allegation on PTSI's losses, Rizal quoted a letter from Soedarjono, chief of the Government Audit Agency, to the finance minister, which asked for clarification about PTSI's incomes.
The letter, dated July 21, 1995 -- copies of which were distributed at the Econit news conference -- told of different interpretations of the import value on which the inspection fee collected by PTSI was based.
However, an executive of PTSI, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "Actually we don't want to make a counter statement to Econit's claims. But what they said is just blatantly wrong."
He added that PTSI ranked among Indonesia's 200 top income tax payers for the last two years. "Then suddenly, somebody declares that we have suffered big losses, or were even alleged to be on the verge of bankruptcy. That is ridiculous."
Top payers
The latest list of the 200 top corporate income tax payers, announced by the finance ministry last March, ranks PT Surveyor Indonesia at 171th for 1993, up from the rank of 179 for the 1992 tax year.
Nyoman Moena, who was president of PTSI until early this year, flatly refuted Econit's view on PTSI's financial condition.
"I can assure you that PTSI is one of the healthiest companies in Indonesia," Moena asserted.
He explained that the losses suspected by the government's audit agency resulted mainly from different opinions between the agency and PTSI.
PTSI was set up in 1991 to gradually take over the preshipment inspection job from the Geneva-based Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS), which has carried out the work since 1985.
PTSI has, since 1992, hired SGS as its sub-contractor under a technical assistance agreement.
Moena said the other objective of establishing PTSI was to take back a portion of the fees paid to SGS through the taxation system (income tax on PTSI's profits).
Under the old contract, whereby SGS was the main contractor, the Swiss company got its fee on a net basis, in that the income tax was borne by the Indonesian government.
Laksamana Sukardi, a director of Econit, contended that 59 percent of PTSI's shareholders are anonymous, presumably former high-ranking officials of the finance ministry.
However, PTSI's incorporation deed, notarized by notary Muhani Salim, as stipulated in the State Gazette No. 10/1-1992 No.3, shows that PTSI, with an authorized capital of Rp 782.8 million, is 76 percent owned by the government, four percent by PT Sucofindo, a state-owned surveyor company, and 20 percent by SGS.(rid)