Printers paid well for ballot papers
Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta
Several firms that won the tender to print ballot papers for the April 5 legislative election have said that they earned large profits from the printing job, raising concerns that the General Elections Commission (KPU) may have overpaid for the work.
The firms said they were able to print the ballot papers for between Rp 150 (US 1.6 cents) and Rp 180 per paper in six colors, far below the price set by the KPU at Rp 275.
Numerous questions have been raised about the KPU's competence to select eligible firms for the printing job. Several of the companies, for example, told The Jakarta Post they operated different machines from those they reported to the KPU during the bidding.
These revelations come as the KPU short-lists 17 firms that printed the ballot papers for the legislative election to print the ballots for the July 5 presidential election.
KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti has said the printing of the presidential election ballots would begin on May 26 at the latest.
An executive at PT Winkarya Lintas Persada, which printed ballots for the legislative election, told the Post the firm was able to print the ballots for Rp 25 per color, or Rp 150 for six colors.
The KPU set the size of the ballots at between 40 cm by 65 cm and 58 cm by 80.5 cm, printed in four colors for the front page and two colors for the back page.
The commission required some 660 million ballot papers for the April 5 elections, at a cost to taxpayers of more than Rp 180 billion.
"We usually set the price at Rp 30 per color per page, but with for an order for 500,000 papers, we were able to do it for Rp 25 per color per page," the executive said.
Winkarya is ranked sixth on the KPU's list of potential firms to print ballot papers for the presidential election. The company was found to have subcontracted its print order for the April 5 elections without the KPU's consent.
The company executive said it had two-color printing machines instead of four-color machines to print papers the size of the ballots. Based on the required document it submitted to the KPU, the company operates five four-color printing machines.
"We do have four-color printing machines, but they can only print papers with the size of 50 cm by 34 cm," she said.
When the Post checked out another tender winner, PT Jenakarya Adi Indah in Fatmawati, South Jakarta, a company executive referred us to PT Nusantara Lestari.
A Nusantara Lestari executive said her firm could print papers the size of the ballots at Rp 30 per color per page, or Rp 120 per four-color page.
"For an order of 500,000 papers in four colors, we can set the price at Rp 60 million, including packaging," she said.
But unlike Winkarya, Nusantara Lestari operates four-color printing machines. The firm is located in Ciledug, Tangerang mayoralty, Banten.
Separately, a PT Dwi Rama executive said his company did not operate a machine that could print papers the size of ballots.
He said his firm's printing machines were suitable for papers the size of 30 cm by 40 cm and 30 cm by 50 cm.
Dwi Rama had reported to the KPU that it possessed four four- color printing machines to print ballot papers.
KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti and member Mulyana W. Kusumah, who is also responsible for the ballot paper printing tender, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
However, KPU consultant on the ballot paper tender Sentot Marzuki told the Post that the price was based on the assumption that the cost of one color (besides black) in the ballot paper stood at Rp 32.5 and thus it would cost Rp 195 for six colors.
"Other costs include cutting, 10 percent profit, 10 percent tax and several smaller items," said Sentot, who estimated the recommended price for the ballot paper printing.
"Based on my calculation the price is low."