The House to form special team to probe revocation of transmission tender
Tuesday, July 11 2000 - 03:00 AM WIB
The House of Representatives' Commission VIII on mines and energy concluded that there was a mystery over the revocation of the transmission tender that was won by PT Bukaka Teknik Utama, and therefore the commission would establish a special working group to investigate the case.
The conclusion was read by the commission chairman Irwan Prajitno after a hearing with the Financial Sector Policy Committee, led by Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie Monday night.
Kwik explained that the committee decided to revoke the tender result after receiving a report from one of the committee members that Bukaka used to neglect a big project in the past. Besides, Bukaka could not meet financial and technical requirements.
But Kwik refused to name the person who reported the case to the committee, and he said he - as the committee chairman - was ready to take responsibility, even though he had to fight in the court.
In the hearing, Kwik was accompanied by Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab, State Minister of Investment and State Enterprises Development Rozy Munir and the National Development Planning Board chairman Djunaidi.
Both Susilo Bamband and Alwi denied accusation that they were the ones who reported Bukaka's past records to the committee.
Earlier, representatives of Bukaka employees met with leaders of the Commission VIII, demanding the Commission to press the government to restore Bukaka's status as the winner in the $70 million Java transmission project.
Agus M. Santoso, who represented Bukaka employees, said that around 5,000 people prepared by Bukaka for the projects face lay-off if the government did not restore Bukaka's rights as the winner of the project because Bukaka had not taken big projects after it won the tender.
Meanwhile, state electricity firm PLN president Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said that the company had opened the re-tendering of the transmission project. Any party interested in the project is advised to contact PLN. (*)