False flood reports filed

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Dozens of companies in the Periuk district of Tangerang have filed false reports on the recent flooding, claiming that their operations were severely affected in order to get tax compensation from the government, authorities said.

An official of the Tangerang municipality's Trade and Industry Agency, speaking on the condition of anonymity, made the statement over the weekend when asked about the impact of the floods in Tangerang's six districts.

"I think those reports are tricks to acquire tax compensation," the official told The Jakarta Post.

The official said that, altogether, 31 factories in the Periuk district and five others in Cibodas district near the Sabi river had reported that they were affected by the floods.

However, the official said that he suspected a large number of these were false claims.

Agency chief Rina Hernaningsih said that more than 100 factories across Tangerang had been inundated by flood water.

She said that her agency would conduct a survey to find out the true condition of those companies on Wednesday.

"We'll come to the companies to find out whether their reports are true or not," she said.

When the Post contacted the factories for comment last week, none of those companies' staff said that floodwaters had inundated their factories and caused production to stop.

Companies severely hurt by the floods include PT Cipta Lestari, PT Tungggal Maju Asri, PT Alam Kaca, PT Diamindo Megah, PT Cipta Teras Adi, and PT Sinar Laut.

"Flood waters inundated this factory last Friday, so 200 workers were allowed to leave early," said Linda, an administrator at PT Cipta Lestary, told the Post, adding that total losses of the company had yet to be calculated.

Separately, Tuti, an administrator at PT Diamindo Megah, said that the floodwaters that reached the 60 centimeter level had submerged her company's factory from Wednesday until Friday.

"We cannot resume production, since machines were damaged. About 200 workers were asked to stay home for a while; the total losses caused have yet to be calculated," she said.

Administration staff of PT Tunggal Maju Asri and PT Cipta Teras Adi also said that those company factories were hit by floods, causing workers to stay home. But he said that the company's total losses were still unclear.

PT Sinar Laut director Husin told the Post that floodwaters did not fill his main factory, but noted that the factory's assembly plant in the Total Persada area was completely destroyed.

"The floodwaters came at 11 p.m., so we couldn't save anything," he said. "We also have to negotiate with the workers, who had to stay home for a week."