Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – President Commissioner of PT Pertamina (Persero) Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok also confirmed the problems presented by President Joko Widodo regarding Pertamina.
“It is absolutely true (what Jokowi said). Agree and agree,” he told CNBC Indonesia, quoted on Saturday (27/11/2021).
Previously, Jokowi was angry with Pertamina because there were many problems that could not be resolved, ranging from investment, the amount of oil imports, to the slow development of the fuel oil refinery (BBM) project.
Ahok said he would submit it to the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) to conduct an assessment and evaluation of management.
“It is submitted to the Ministry of SOEs to assess and evaluate management,” he explained when asked what Pertamina’s follow-up to the President’s direction was.
It is known that Jokowi’s disappointment was conveyed when giving directions to the commissioners and directors of Pertamina and PT PLN (Persero).
The briefing was also carried out in the presence of SOE Minister Erick Thohir, Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, President Commissioner of Pertamina Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, President Director of Pertamina Nicke Widyawati, President Commissioner of PLN Amien Sunaryadi, and President Director of PLN. Zulkifli Zaini at the State Palace, the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, last Tuesday (16/11).
Jokowi complained about several things, including the slow investment process when potential investors were already lining up to cooperate, the lack of transparency about assignments from the government such as fuel distribution, and the high oil imports.
In addition, there are new projects for the new BBM Refinery or Grass Root Refinery (GRR) in Tuban, East Java and the PT Trans Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI) Refinery which is considered to be running slowly.
Jokowi revealed that behind the beginning, Rosneft wanted to invest with Pertamina, but Pertamina did not receive it quickly. In fact, now only 5% has been realized.
“For years, Pertamina has known Rosneft in Tuban to want to invest. It has started, I understand that Rosneft wants to be fast, but we don’t want it to be fast,” Jokowi explained, quoted from a video uploaded to the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.
“This is a huge investment, Rp. 168 trillion, but the realization is only around Rp. 5.8 trillion,” he continued.
Jokowi also mentioned the development of the TPPI refinery expansion which is also located in East Java. Even though this project has been launched since he was appointed as president for the first time in 2014.
“Nearby, there is also the TPPI, the investment is USD 3.8 billion. Also, it has been years before we existed, then there was a problem, we haven’t traveled yet,” said Jokowi.
In front of the President Director of Pertamina, Nicke Widyawati, Jokowi told the story that at that time he had yelled at the previous Pertamina president director because he was slow to carry out the execution.
In fact, according to him, if the TPPI has been successfully built, it will be a solution for Indonesia to substitute imported goods, so that Indonesia’s balance of transactions does not swell.
“So when Mrs. President Director (Nicke), I went there last time, Mrs. President Director told me that, I snapped because it was true, I was told the same thing, you know,” he said.
“I don’t want to hear that story again, I’ve heard it from previous president directors’ stories. I’m blunt, it’s normal,” Jokowi said again.
However, Pertamina is not only running two refinery projects. There are several other oil refinery projects that have been launched by Pertamina and so far none have been completed.
(roy/roy)
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