Government told to nix land deals with Soeharto associates
Government told to nix land deals with Soeharto associates
JAKARTA (JP): State forestry firm Perum Perhutani has urged
the Ministry of Forestry and Plantations to cancel its land swap
deals with eight companies linked to former president Soeharto's
families and cronies.
Perhutani president A. Fattah DS said on Thursday that the
swap deals only benefited private parties which intended to use
the acquired 11,481 hectares of forest for commercial purposes.
"Perhutani wants the deals canceled because the value of land
the private companies swapped in compensation was below the value
of land they acquired from Perhutani," he said at a media
conference.
"We are now involved in a discussion with the Ministry of
Forestry and Plantations to cancel the deals."
He said the deals had to be canceled by the minister of
forestry and plantations since they were made between the
ministry and private companies.
Fattah said that the deals probably involved corruption,
collusion and nepotism (KKN).
"The unfair deals were certainly obtained through nepotistic
practices," he said.
Fattah said Perhutani was seeking to cancel the swap deal with
PT Kapuk Naga Asri and cement producer PT Indocement Tunggal
Prakasa, two companies in the Salim Group.
Under the deals, the two companies were allowed to acquire
1,086.95 hectares and 860 hectares of land in West Java from
Perum Perhutani by providing the same size of land plots.
Fattah said his company also wanted to cancel its swap deal
with PT Bukit Jonggol Asri, a consortium set up by Soeharto's
second son Bambang Trihatmodjo with Kaestindo Group, because the
latter had not fulfilled its obligation to provide 8,300 hectares
of forest area in exchange for Perhutani's 3,100 hectare site
used for a 30,000-hectare township project.
Perhutani is also in the process of canceling swap deals with
Semen Cibinong, owned by businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, PT
Semen Makmur Indonesia, a company linked to Bambang and PT Gunung
Mas Alam Semesta, which is owned by Soeharto's son-in-law Indra
Rukmana, PT Kusuma Raya Utama and PT Selo Adi Wibowo.
Fattah said most deals stated the land acquired by private
companies from Perhutani would be replaced by the same amount of
land.
He said that the one-to-one swap deal with the eight companies
was unfair because all of Perhutani's land involved in the deals
would be used for business purposes.
According to a government regulation, Fattah said the
compensation ratio was 1:1 if the land acquired from Perhutani
would be used for public facilities.
But if land will be used for "strategic projects", the ratio
is 1:2, meaning twice as much land should be given to replace the
acquired land.
If land acquired from Perhutani will be used for commercial
purposes, the swap ratio is between a 1:3 and 1:27 ratio, meaning
for every square meter of land acquired, the companies receiving
land must provide 3 to 27 square meters in another area.
Fattah said Perhutani was powerless to do anything at the time
because it had to obey the minister of forestry and comply with
the transactions of state land. The minister dealt directly with
the private companies.
The Ministry of Forestry and Plantation canceled Perhutani's
deals in August with PT Pertiwi Lestari and PT Mandara Permai,
companies owned by businessman Anthony Salim of the Salim Group,
due to unfairness.
Fattah said that under the deals, the two companies replaced
land in West Java swapped with Perhutani with the same amount of
land.
"But audits conducted by the Development Finance Comptroller
(BPKP) showed that the swap deals should have been based on a
1:27 ratio, meaning the two firms should have provided 27 square
meters for each square meter taken from Perhutani," he said.
(gis)