PLN's tender to be repeated
Friday, May 19 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
President Abdurrahman Wahid has insisted to order Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie to repeat a tender for the implementation of 500-KV electricity transmission project from Klaten, Central Java, to Tasikmalaya, West Java, Tempo Interaktif reported on Wednesday.
The tender has to be repeated because Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called, believed that the US$75 billion project was won by PT Bukaka Teknik Utama owned by Ahmad Kalla, the younger brother of Jusuf Kalla, the former industry and trade minister he fired recently, through collusion, nepotism and corruption practices.
Kwik issued a letter No. S-126/M.Ekuin/05/2000 on April 26, calling for a repeat of the tender. Tunggono, operation director of state-owned electricity company PT PLN which owned the project, responded to the letter by informing PT Bukaka on May 11 that the tender was revoked and has to be repeated.
Gus Dur explained in a consultative meeting with the House of Representatives recently that the dismissal of Jusuf Kalla as the minister of industry and trade was caused mainly by his collusion, nepotism and corruption practices in the project tender.
Jusuf and Ahmad, however, repeatedly denied Gus Dur'a accusation. "The tender was held long before I was chosen as a minister. Moreover Bukaka was on the first list with an offer of US$75 billion," Jusuf told the Tempo. (*)