Ahok's Answer When Asked By 'Inconsequential' Pertamina Officials Who Were Fired By Jokowi: Just Ask The President Director

JAKARTA - The President Commissioner of PT Pertamina (Persero) Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok opened his voice regarding Pertamina officials who were immediately fired by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) regarding the import of goods.

But unfortunately Ahok did not want to reveal the name that was fired. According to Ahok, this should be asked directly to the President Director of PT Pertamina, Nicke Widyawati.

"Just ask the Managing Director (Pertamina, Nicke Widyawati)," Ahok told VOI, Jakarta, Wednesday, March 10.

The news of this dismissal was previously conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Luhut said the dismissal of officials was motivated by problems at the Domestic Component Level (TKDN). For the record, the government is indeed pushing for an increase in TKDN to suppress imports and maintain the trade balance

"A high-ranking Pertamina official yesterday was fired by President Jokowi," he said at the BPPT 2021 National Working Meeting of Technology Innovation Ecosystem Strengthening, Tuesday, March 9.

Unfortunately, Luhut did not specify the name of the state-owned oil and gas company official. His party also did not disclose the exact time of dismissal and who was the replacement for the dismissed high-ranking Pertamina official.

Luhut only said that the official had asked the reason for his dismissal. At that time, said Luhut, Jokowi reasoned that the dismissal was related to TKDN.

"So you just check who was replaced," he said.

On that occasion, Luhut admitted that he had reported to President Joko Widodo to reduce imports and prioritize domestic products.

In fact, Luhut admitted that he had also told the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Muhammad Lutfi to reduce import habits in Indonesia.

"I told the Trade Minister I said he was a patent. I said Fi (Lutfi), you don't want those imports, ask me first," he said.

Luhut admitted that he was furious when he saw that several state-owned companies were also importing. Even though the materials and means of production already exist in Indonesia.

"For example, making pipes. Pertamina is carelessly asking for mercy, it is still importing pipes even though they can be made in Indonesia. I am sad to see that young people are only prostituting their professionalism," he said.