Unocal denies accusation of making an unfair tender

Public relations chief of PT Unocal Indonesia Samsulistyo denied accusation that the oil and gas company was exercising an unfair tender process to select the supplier of its chemical materials need,

"We highly honor the tender ethics stipulated by the government," Samsulistyo was quoted by the East Kalimantan Suara Kaltim daily as saying.

He said that the tender had been transparent and was supervised by the state oil and gas company Pertamina, and its foreign oil and gas contractors supervision and development body (BPPKA).

Other participants of the tender has accused Unocal for being unfair by appointing PT Fajar Mas Semesta which is believed to have received a letter of support from Singapore's Unocal International Supply & Trading Company (UISTC), which is affiliated to Unocal Indonesia.

UISTC is said to be also a supplier of the chemicals needed by Unocal Indonesia.

But Samsulistyo said that Unocal had not yet decided on the winner. "It's just common if there's a protest. We have not yet decided on the winner," he said.(*)