PT Pos Indonesia diversifies its business
JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned postal service company PT Pos Indonesia is creating more subsidiaries to support the development of its core business.
Company director of marketing and business development, Sumitro Roestam, said yesterday that Pos Indonesia had set up PT Prima Teleposmart to distribute new telephone cards using Smartcard technology.
He said the new company was jointly owned by a subsidiary of the Rajawali group and the pension fund foundation of Pos Indonesia.
Smartcards are issued by PT Telekomindo, a Rajawali group subsidiary, in collaboration with the state-owned PT Telkom and the state-owned mint and banknote printing company, Perum Peruri.
"We will set up three other subsidiaries later this year," Sumitro said after signing an agreement with private cellular operator PT Satelindo.
He said the three companies would deal with retail financial services, Internet and direct mail.
"We are in the process of acquiring a stake in an operating bank. Meanwhile, we will set up a separate firm as an Internet Service Provider to run Wasantaranet.
Wasantaranet is an Internet service now operated by Pos Indonesia.
Sumitro said that his company would also establish a joint venture company with an Australian partner to act as a mailing house.
Mailing houses handle direct marketing of goods and services.
"This is a captive market. We must also look for other opportunities," Sumitro said.
Pos Indonesia president Cahyana Ahmadjayadi said yesterday the company would hire more women to work as postwomen serving high- rise buildings.
"We currently serve 12 high-rise office buildings in Jakarta. We plan to serve 90 buildings by the end of this year," he said.
Cahyana said recently that Pos Indonesia expected to gain a Rp 67.89 billion (US$28.7 million) profit for 1996, up 19.7 percent from Rp 56.7 billion for 1995.
Pos Indonesia has launched a series of improvement programs. "The first phase, from 1995 to 1997, is a consolidation and modernization program. The second phase, from 1998 to 2000, is a growth program and the last one, from 2000 to 2003, is a total solution program."
Pos Indonesia has 4,798 offices and 8,654 service points nationwide.
Under an agreement signed by Cahyana and Satelindo, Pos Indonesia has agreed to deliver bills to Satelindo's subscribers.
"The agreement will also allow Satelindo subscribers to pay billing charges at designated post offices." Cahyana said.
Iwa Sewaka said the agreement would also let Pos Indonesia, if it wanted, lease satellite transponders of the Palapa-C series operated by Satelindo.
"We will also be able to cooperate with Pos Indonesia to install radio base stations in post offices in specific areas," he added. (icn)