Kadinda regrets disqualification of local firm in Caltex tender

The local chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadinda) has expressed regret over the decision of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) to disqualify PT Binda Reksa from its tender to carry out a reclamation work at its oil terminal in Dumai.

Hermansyah, an executive of the chamber's chapter in Riau, said that Binda Reksa, which is the only local company joining the tender should be supported because the company had proofed that it was capable enough to do the job.

"It is questionable why Binda Reksa, which has expressed its ready to cooperate with a Singapore firm to do the job, was disqualified," he told Riau Pos in Pekanbaru on Monday.

Binda Reksa charged Caltex of being unfair in the selection of bidders to carry out its Rp 137 billion (about US$15 million) reclamation project at its oil terminal in Dumai.

PT Binda Reksa, one of the nine companies joining the tender, said on Saturday that it had met all the requirements needed to bid for the dredging project but it was disqualified due to unclear reasons.

Bismar Rambah, the commissioner of the company, accused that the selection of companies that were allowed to join the tender might involve KKN, the local acronym for corruption, collusion and nepotism practices.

Poedyo Oetomo, the spokesman for Caltex, denied the charge, saying that the selection of the bidders had followed the existing standard procedures. He also said that the value of the project was only Rp 5 billion, not Rp 137 billion as revealed by Binda Reksa

Nine companies joined the tender to carry out the oil giant's dredging project, including four local firms such as seven Jakarta-based construction companies and a state owned firm. But only four of them including PT Antar Sawarupa Samudra, PT Penkinindo, PT Tropical Jaya and PT Waskita passed the pre-qualification test. (*)