Govt eyes Rp 20t from state firms
Govt eyes Rp 20t from state firms
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government is optimistic that it will be able to raise
proceeds from state enterprises by close to double the amount it
collected this year, on the back of higher economic growth and
operational restructuring.
Staff expert for State Minister of State Enterprises Aries
Mufti said on Thursday the ministry was eying dividend payments
from state enterprises by at least Rp 20 trillion (US$1.96
billion) next year from this year's realization of some Rp 12
trillion.
"We are optimistic that we can double state revenues from
dividends next year following an expected strong performance from
the state enterprises," Aries said after meeting Vice President
Jusuf Kalla.
The government has proposed a total of Rp 12.5 trillion in
dividend payments from the companies, and Rp 4.5 trillion from
privatization sales to help finance the 2006 state budget.
For this year, the government is forecasting Rp 8.9 trillion
in dividend payments and Rp 3.5 trillion from privatization.
Aries, who is also a commissioner for national flag carrier
Garuda Indonesia, said next year's dividend payments would be
derived from a total net profit accumulated from 145 state
enterprises, which was estimated to reach at least Rp 40
trillion.
For this year, the companies are estimated to book at least a
total of Rp 30 trillion in net profit, with telecommunications
company PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) and oil and gas
company PT Pertamina contributing the lion's share.
Aries said that with the higher dividend target, the ministry
was hoping it could scrap the sales to private entities for
several state enterprises, which was projected to reach 0.7
percent of gross domestic product (GDP) next year.
Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy with a GDP of more
than US$250 billion, is hoping to record economic growth of 6.1
percent next year from this year's estimation of around 5.7
percent.
Aries also said the ministry was aiming to reduce the number
of loss-making state enterprises to under 22 this year.