Risjad Brasali activates plastic factories in West Java

JAKARTA (JP): Risjad Brasali Industries, a group of four private companies, inaugurated a plastic material plant and a chemical factory yesterday in West Java.

The group, controlled by businessmen Ibrahim Risjad and Budi Brasali, also began construction of two other chemical plants in Serang and Bekasi, both in West Java, with a combined investment of $170 million.

The opening of the plastic factory in Serang and the chemical plant in Bekasi, which have a combined investment of US$140 million, was officiated by Minister of Trade Satrio B. Joedono in a ceremony at the Cikarang Industrial Estate in Bekasi.

The plastic plant, managed by the group's subsidiary PT Risjad Brasali Styrindo, is Indonesia's first producer of acrylonitrile butadine styrene (ABS), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) and expandable poly styrene (EPS). All are raw material for the manufacturing of home appliance casings, electronic components, automotive parts and packaging. The plant sits on a 10-hectare lot.

The chemical plant, founded in 1993 and managed by PT Risjad Brasali Chemindo, produces carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC), which is a raw material used in the manufacturing of textiles, food products, paper, detergents and ceramics, and in oil drilling. It is situated on a 2.5-hectare area in Bekasi.

Ibrahim, chief commissioner of the Risjad Brasali group, said that the two factories under construction will be operated by PT Risjad Brasali Peroxida and PT ABS Industri Indonesia.

Risjad Brasali Peroxida's planned factory in Bekasi will have an annual production capacity of 15,000 tons of hydrogen peroxide, a raw material for the production of textiles, paper and pulp. ABS Industri's project, being set up in Serang, will produce 20,000 tons of poly-butadine latex and ABS graft powder, materials for the manufacturing of automotive parts, household appliance casings and electronics components.

"About 30 percent of the production of the four industrial plants will be exported and the remainder will be sold domestically," Ibrahim said.

He added that the operation of the four plants will help Indonesia save US$41 million per annum in spending on imports and earn $20.5 million from exports.

At yesterday's ceremony, Minister Joedono witnessed the departure of 25 container trucks carrying 11.2 metric tons of CMC to Malaysia.(kod)