Dissolve Elnusa Petro Teknik: Legislator

Legislator Ramson Siagian from the House of Representatives' Commission VIII that deals with energy and mineral resources has told state oil and gas firm Pertamina to liquidate its subsidiary company PT Elnusa Petro Teknik (EPT).

Ramson said EPT, that provides oil refinery maintenance services, had conducted various ill practices that caused financial losses to its parent company PT Elnusa that eventually transferred the losses to Pertamina.

Ramson said that based on the results of the audit by the Government Finance Development Comptroller (BPKP) on EPT's 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 books, it was found out that EPT had conducted various irregularities that caused financial losses. BPKP always found such irregularities when it audited EPT.

"This unprofessional handling of PT EPT has contributed losses to PT Elnusa, that eventually reduce Pertamina's profits for 1999/2000 as reported by the Supreme Audit Agency," he said.

Therefore, there was no other way for Pertamina to save its book than dissolving PT EPT. Ramson also called on Pertamina to dissolve similar companies that booked losses all the time like PT EPT.

Ramson added that dissolving PT EPT would help Pertamina cut its connection line with the former President Soeharto's family and cronies as EPT was established in the request from Soeharto's family and cronies.

Formerly, Pertamina had Technical Maintenance Unit that maintained Pertamina's refinery plants. After the establishment of EPT, most Pertamina employees at Technical Maintenance Unit were transferred to EPT. Currently there are around 2,800 Pertamina employees placed in EPT, far higher than the actual need of around 900 people.

Last week, Pertamina president Baihaki Hakim said that his party was giving one-year time to EPT to improve its performance. Otherwise, it will be liquidated. (*)