Caltex, Pertamina lack commitment to help Riau province

Major companies operating in Riau such as Pertamina, Caltex Pacific Indonesia and port operator Pelindo have been criticized for lacking a commitment to help the development of the oil rich province.

Riau Pos reported on Thursday that the legislative council of Dumai municipality will soon issue a strong warning to the giant companies, which have so far ignored the council's appeal to make concrete actions to help finance the province's development.

The council complained that almost all companies operating in the natural resources rich province have so far paid little attention to the local people.

"Tomorrow (Thursday) we will announce our firm stance against the companies. If they still refuse to give any contribution, we could issue a threat to them," the council's chairman Bennedi Boimen told the daily.

The council leader made his statement following a sharp criticism from the public about the failure of the council to carry out their job. The community leaders in the municipality charged the councilors of doing nothing in demanding some financial contribution from the giant companies operating in the area.

The people have spent a lot of money to finance the councilors' traveling expense but there have no concrete results they have made, he said, referring to a number of trips made by the council members to either Medan or Jakarta in negotiating their demand with the companies' headquarters. (*)