Laksamana lambastes ludicrous lawmakers

Laksamana lambastes ludicrous lawmakers

Rendi A. Witular
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

State Minister for State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi erupted
in anger on Tuesday during a hearing with House of
Representatives legislators, blaming them as the main culprits
behind the government's failure to meet the privatization target
and schedule.

"How can we work if you (the legislators) keep on wasting our
time by asking insignificant questions, and ... quarreling with
each other. With all due respect, I don't see any point to this
hearing," said Laksamana.

Laksamana made the remarks during a hearing with the House of
Representatives Commission IX for financial affairs on the
progress of the privatization of state-owned companies.

Laksamana said that it was the House's complicated stance and
inconsistency that stalled the privatization program.

"Now you go this way, then that way. There is uncertainty
here. I feel like a ping pong ball when dealing with you guys. If
you remain like this, the privatization process won't go ahead,"
Laksamana said.

Based on the existing laws, the privatization of state-owned
companies should be approved by the House. But, the House only
grants approval after long drawn out debates, which has forced
the government delays and meant the disruption of the
privatization schedule.

During the hearing, Laksamana asked for the lawmakers'
approval for several state-owned firms, but the lawmakers just
continued to ask questions, some of which had already been
answered and others that had nothing to do with the subject. That
went on until the end of the House's official working hours at
5:30 p.m.

The legislators then requested Laksamana to deliver his
replies to those questions at the next hearing slated for
October. That sparked an hour more of debate among legislators.

Laksamana interrupted the debate, saying he had no time to
attend the next hearing just to deliver his answers to their
questions.

He argued that the questions asked by the lawmakers were
mostly not worthy of replying to because he had answered them in
the past and that several questions were personal and had no
relation to the privatization process.

The lawmakers were stunned at hearing Laksamana's statement,
but surprisingly they did not try to argue further. The
Commission then decided to postpone the hearing indefinitely.

According to Laksamana, there are currently 18 state-owned
companies that the government failed to sell in 2001 and 2002,
partly because of protracted debates at the House.

Among them are pharmaceutical companies PT Indofarma and PT
Kimia Farma, shipmaker PT Dok Kodja Bahari, paper producer PT
Kertas Padalarang and Soekarno-Hatta International airport
operator PT Angkasa Pura II.

For this year, the government planned to privatize 10
companies: Bank Mandiri and Bank Rakyat Indonesia, gas
distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara, construction companies PT
Adhi Karya and PT Pembangunan Perumahan, and five construction
consultant firms PT Indah Karya, PT Indra Karya, PT Virama Karya,
PT Yodya Karya and PT Bina Karya.

The government also plans to sell minority stakes in several
companies such as in cement producer PT Indocement, this year.

Laksamana said that, based on the state budget, the government
hoped to raise about Rp 6.2 trillion (US$738 million) from
privatization programs this year.

However, as of August, proceeds from privatization had only
reached Rp 2.54 trillion, all from the sale of part of the
government's stake in Bank Mandiri.