Ink bidders' funds doubted

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Doubts over the financial capability of companies participating in the General Elections Commission (KPU)'s ink tender are looming large as the date for the commission to pick four winners is fast approaching.

Secretary of KPU's ink tender committee H. A. Royadi said on Wednesday that the commission planned to sign contracts with the winners on Monday at the latest.

However, KPU data on a number of bidders showed to journalists on Wednesday suggested that most of the eight bidders recorded lackluster performance in the past few years, thus partly confirming data from a tax office obtained by The Jakarta Post last week.

According to documents submitted by the bidders to KPU, an East Java-based company recorded no sales or income tax in 2002, and had not submitted any tax data in 2003.

A Jakarta-based company, meanwhile, reported total sales of Rp 889,711,800 in 2002, an average of Rp 74 million per month, but paid no income tax in the same year. The same company booked sales worth Rp 635,395,000 or an average of Rp 52.9 million per month.

One bidder, considered to be one of the strongest candidates, reported no sales and zero income tax in 2002.

Another company tipped to win the tender recorded sales worth Rp 17.236 billion and income tax of Rp 19.773 million in 2003, but had not submitted its 2002 tax report to the KPU.

Eight companies are currently bidding for KPU's ink tender, and they are PT Fulcomas Jaya, PT Lina Permai Sakti, Multi Mega, PT Mustika Indra Mas, PT Senorotan Perkasa, PT Tricipta Adimandiri, PT Wahgo International, and PT Yana Prima Hasta Persada.

There are growing doubts whether the companies -- which have passed the pre-qualification stage of the ink tender -- would be capable of providing ink worth billions of rupiah within 30 days with their current financial capability.

KPU has said that it requires a total of Rp 150 billion to provide ink for the April 5 legislative election, July 5 and Sept. 20 presidential election, but only Rp 97 billion was available so far.

KPU is facing another major problem with ballot box production as tender winner PT Survindo Indah Prestasi has failed to meet its production target. The KPU shaved 60 percent off the firm's contract and awarded it to the second-and third-place bidders.

The government is preparing a contingency plan in case ballot boxes do not reach their destinations on time.

KPU member and head of the ink tender, Rusadi Kantaprawira, has repeatedly said that the four winners chosen by KPU would provide ink at a maximum price of Rp 36,500 per 30 milliliter bottle.

On Monday, the eight bidders submitted their quotations to the KPU, but according to Royadi, the price does not yet include 10 percent tax.

According to KPU data, Fulcomas quoted a price of Rp 41,300 per bottle for the Sumatra region, Rp 40,800 per bottle for Java, Bali and Madura, Rp 42,000 for Kalimantan and Sulawesi, and Rp 42,500 per bottle for the other provinces.

Multi Mega Service quoted Rp 28,500 per bottle for Sumatra, Rp 26,200 per bottle for Java, Bali and Madura, Rp 31,100 per bottle for Kalimantan and Sulawesi and Rp 33,700 per bottle for West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua.

Lina Permai Sakti quoted Rp 31,545 per bottle for Sumatra, Rp 30,909 for Java, Bali and Madura, Rp 32,386 for Kalimantan and Sulawesi, and Rp 33,182 for NTB, NTT, Maluku and Papua.

Mustika Indra Mas offered Rp 30,500 per bottle for Sumatra, Rp 27,000 for Java, Bali and Madura, Rp 31,500 for Kalimantan and Sulawesi and Rp 34,000 for the rest.

Senorotan Perkasa quoted a price of Rp 32,000 per bottle for Sumatra, Rp 25,700 per bottle for Java, Bali and Madura, Rp 33,450 per bottle for Kalimantan and Sulawesi and Rp 33,950 for the rest.

Tricipta Adimandiri quoted Rp 29,650 for Sumatra, Rp 27,350 for Java, Bali and Madura, Rp 29,700 for Kalimantan and Sulawesi and Rp 33,500 for the remaining provinces.

Wahgo International offered Rp 32,636 per bottle for Sumatra, Rp 32,636.7 per bottle for Java, Bali and Madura, Rp 32,636 per bottle for Kalimantan and Sulawesi and Rp 32,636 per bottle for the rest.

Yana Prima Hasta Persada quoted Rp 30,000 per bottle for Sumatra, Rp 27,200 per bottle for Java, Bali and Madura, Rp 30,470 for Kalimantan and Sulawesi and Rp 32,100 for the remaining provinces.