The Government's Inability To Travel Rules Until Coordinating Minister Luhut Accuses The PCR Business
JAKARTA - A negative view is now on the government, because it suddenly changes in implementing travel conditions for the community. In just a few days the price of the PCR test was lowered to Rp. 275 thousand, the government has now removed the requirement to show the results of the PCR test for flight passengers with sufficient antigen testing.
Secretary of the PPP faction of the DPR RI, Achmad Baidowi, said that currently there is suspicion among the public that the PCR test is a business field for health businesses and the government.
"There is an impression that the government is more concerned with defending the interests of the health business, in this case PCR," Awiek told reporters, Monday, November 1.
He reminded that the government's instability in determining policies should not give rise to a skewed view because of the existence of an medical equipment business.
"There should not be public suspicion that the PCR equipment has already been imported, so it must be supported by tug-of-war policies," he continued.
The emergence of public suspicion about the PCR business by the government was revealed by the former Director of YLBHI Agustinus Edy Kristianto. He said a number of other ministers were also related to the PCR test business.
Agustinus revealed this through his writing on his personal Facebook account. He started his writing by citing media reports about the PCR laboratory owned by politicians and conglomerates. Agustinus revealed the composition of the shareholders of PT Genomik Solidaritas Indonesia (GSI) which has an affiliation with the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. Namely PT Toba Bumi Energi and PT Toba Sejahtera.
He said Luhut had a small stake in the two companies and Luhut was also the founder. "The minister is apparently affiliated with PT Genomics Solidaritas Indonesia. The PT business unit is GSI Lab which sells all kinds of COVID-19 tests: PCR Swab Sameday (275 thousand), Antigen Swab (95 thousand), PCR Mouth (495 thousand), S-RBD Quantitative Antibody (249 thousand)," Agustinus wrote. Northstar Bhakti Persada, PT Anarya Kreasi Nusantara, PT Modal Venture YCAB, PT Perdana Multi Kasih, PT Toba Bumi Energi, PT Toba Sejahtra, and PT Kartika Bina Medikatama. What did Luhut say about the 'PCR business' accusation?
Luhut's party immediately denied the accusation of 'playing' behind the PCR business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spokesperson for Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Jodi Mahardi said Coordinating Minister Luhut had indeed received an invitation by several business groups to form a GSI. However, he emphasized that this was not done for business, let alone for profit.
Jodi explained that the company was formed in the context of an initiative to help provide COVID-19 tests. He said the GSI was formed at the beginning of the pandemic when the provision of COVID-19 tests was a big obstacle in Indonesia. COVID-19 with a large test capacity. Because this used to be an obstacle in the early days of this pandemic, it was one of the obstacles," said Jodi, Monday, November 1. Jodi explained that there are nine shareholders in GSI. The Indika and Adaro business groups are the majority shareholders in GSI. Luhut has ties to GSI because his company Toba Bara Sejahtera also has a stake in a COVID-19 test company. So far, Jodi said, there has never been any profit sharing in the form of dividends from GSI. Both for Luhut and other shareholders. In fact, according to him, GSI's profits have been used a lot to provide free tests to underprivileged communities and health workers on the front line. There have been more than 60,000 tests that have been carried out for the benefit of helping the community, including helping at the athlete's house. "Until now, there has been no distribution of profits in the form of dividends or other forms to shareholders," said Jodi. once an attempt to make a profit from GSI. According to him, what GSI is doing is social entrepreneurship. Moreover, all business groups that oversee GSI are considered to be well-established and have more profitable businesses than trading COVID-19 tests. Even the GSI office building, said Jodi, was given free of charge by one of its shareholders. This was done so that GSI could quickly operate in the initial period and help carry out COVID-19 testing. "So the goal of this GSI is not to seek profit for shareholders. As the name implies, GSI is Genomic Solidarity Indonesia, indeed this is social entrepreneurship," said Jodi .
Jodi stated that Luhut had been constantly voicing for the price of PCR tests to be lowered and accessible to the public. Therefore, according to him, it is impossible for Luhut to want to look for business from COVID-19 test kits. "So there is no business intention in Toba Sejahtra's participation in GSI, moreover Pak Luhut himself has always voiced that the price of this PCR test can be lowered so that become more affordable for the community," said Luhut. Jodi also regretted the issue of the COVID-19 test kit business. He is worried that no one will lend a helping hand if a crisis suddenly occurs because it is called profit-making from COVID-19. Jodi.