Pura denies collusion reports
Pura denies collusion reports
KUDUS, Central Java (JP): Paper printing, processing and
engineering business Pura Group denied media reports that it had
colluded with officials of Bank Indonesia and the state-owned
money printing company PT Peruri in winning the US$7 million
contract to supply banknote paper to the money printing firm.
"The Pura Group has no special ties either with the central
bank or Peruri and it won the project because PT Pura Barutama,
the group's subsidiary, offered the lowest price in the bid,"
Evie Casino, the group's spokesperson, said here on Thursday.
Evie made the statement in response to media reports that the
business group had colluded with officials from BI and Peruri to
secure the project.
The alleged unfair business deal has raised questions about
the quality of the paper used in the production of the country's
bank notes at a time of growing public concern over counterfeit
money.
She said Pura won the contract after outbidding other bidders
including nine foreign companies at the tender launched in
November last year.
"The quality of our samples is also better than the ones
provided by the nine foreign companies and the price we proposed
was far lower than they offered. We are prepared for a possible
investigation by the Police or the Attorney General's Office into
the alleged collusion," she said.
The nine foreign companies that joined the bid included
Loenthal (Germany), Portal Ltd. (Britain), Tunba Brup (Sweden),
Crane & Co. (USA) and Arjo Wiggins (France).
Pura's operations director Mulyono said the company, which was
established in 1970, has successfully developed a sophisticated
paper and offset technology system to produce security hologram
and hot stamping foil, security printing and security banknote
papers.
"So far, Pura has obtained 14 patents in paper processing,
paper converting, offset printing and engineering," he said.
Most state and private banks' security papers are printed by
Pura, he claimed. He also said that 80 percent of cigarette
factories, pharmaceutical companies and consumer goods producers
have entrusted the company to manufacture their products'
packages.
"Packaging of national and international products' brands such
as L'Oreal, Revlon, Coca Cola, Gudang Garam, Dji Sam Soe,
Gillette, Philips, Kalbe Farma, Pfizer and Bayer are produced
here," he said.
He said Pura in cooperation with four companies from China has
also developed hologram technology to avoid falsification in
their products, especially security and banknote papers.
"With the hologram and paper processing technology, Pura has
been entrusted to supply Rp 1,000 and Rp 5,000 note paper to
Peruri and to print Somali shilling," he said.
Export
He said that Pura has also exported its security papers to the
Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Myanmar and the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) and has sent its offset machines to Malaysia,
China and Iran.
Asked about its staff training, Mulyono said the company
employs no expatriates and has sent its staff to undergo
intensive training programs in developed countries such as the
United States, Germany, Britain and Sweden.
"Ten percent of Pura's staff from its 8,000 employees, mostly
local people, have undergone expert training," he said.
Eddy Soesanto Soewandi, the company's finance director, said
the company was considering selling a small part of its shares to
the Kudus local administration and possibly to its workers, to
meet political interests in face of the imminent implementation
of regional autonomy in January.
"Political support from the local administration is needed to
maintain the presence of the company with its Rp 1 trillion in
total assets. We want to contribute not only our tax payment but
also a part of our profit to the local administration," he said.
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