Guthrie builds CPO plants

JAKARTA (JP): Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad will build crude palm oil (CPO) refineries in Indonesia in cooperation with local cooperatives, the chief executive of the Malaysian business group Abdul Khalid Bin Ibrahim said here yesterday.

Khalid said that Guthrie would build CPO refineries in Sumatra and would soon send a team to study the projects.

"The refineries will be built under a build, operate and transfer (BOT) system with Indonesian cooperatives. We will provide 100 million ringgit from which we can build five or more refineries," he said following a meeting with President B.J. Habibie.

Minister for Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono, said at the same occasion Malaysia had also agreed to develop more palm oil plantations in Indonesia.

But he gave no details. (prb)