Luhut Is Called Participating In Enjoying PCR Test Business Money, Spokesperson: He Always Votes For Lowering Prices

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. (Photo: Doc. Kemenko Marves)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menkomarves) Luhut Binsar Panjaitan is said to be involved in the PCR test business. However, Luhut denied the news. Spokesman for Menkomarves Jodi Mahardi said that all this time Luhut had voiced that the price of the expensive COVID-19 health test should be lowered.

"Pak Luhut himself has always voiced that the price of the PCR test can be lowered. So that it becomes more affordable for the public," he told VOI, Wednesday, November 3.

Jodi said Luhut did get an invitation from several business groups to form PT Genomik Solidaritas Indonesia (GSI). But Jodi said it was not done for business, let alone making a profit.

According to Jodi, the company was formed to help provide COVID-19 tests. Furthermore, Jodi also explained that the GSI was formed at the beginning of the pandemic when the provision of COVID-19 tests was a big obstacle in Indonesia.

"Regarding GSI, at that time Pak Luhut was invited by friends from the Indika Group, Adaro, Northstar, who had the initiative to help provide COVID-19 tests with a large test capacity. Because this used to be a problem in the early days of this pandemic. So in total, if I'm not mistaken, there are nine shareholders there. The Foundation from Indika and Adaro are the majority shareholders in this GSI," said Jodi.

As previously reported, there are nine shareholders in PT GSI. The Indika and Adaro business groups are the majority shareholders in GSI. Luhut has ties to GSI because his company, PT Toba Bara Sejahtera, has a stake in the COVID-19 test company.

Jodi also explained that the groups that claimed to be in the PCR business were large groups whose businesses were already well established. They are also a very strong company in the energy sector. That's why, said Jodi, GSI's goal is not profit for the shareholders.

"As the name implies, GSI is Genomic Solidarity Indonesia, indeed for social entrepreneurship. Mr. Luhut's participation in GSI is part of your efforts to help deal with the pandemic in the early days, apart from the donation of PCR test kits and reagents provided to medical faculties in several campuses. Mr. Luhut also helped Nusantics, one of the startups in the bioscience field, to make PCR reagents made by the nation's children, which are currently produced by Biofarma," he said.

According to Jodi, the profits obtained by GSI are actually used more to provide free COVID-19 health tests to underprivileged communities and health workers. More than 60 thousand tests have been carried out for the benefit of the community, including helping with tests at the athletes' homestay.

"Until now, there has been no distribution of profits in the form of dividends or other forms to shareholders," he said.

Jodi also emphasized that PT GSI has never cooperated with BUMN or siphoned off funds from the government. Instead, GSI performs genome sequencing for free to help the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes).

Previously, Luhut's name was mentioned in the PCR business. The news originated from the statement of the former Director of Publication and Public Education of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Agustinus Edy Kristianto, who mentioned a number of ministers related to the PCR test business.

Agustinus revealed this through his Facebook account. Initially, Agustinus quoted mass media reports about the PCR laboratory owned by politicians and conglomerates.

In his upload, he said the composition of shareholders of PT Genomik Solidaritas Indonesia (GSI) had an affiliation with Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. The companies are PT Toba Bumi Energi and PT Toba Sejahtera.

Agustinus explained that Luhut has a small stake in the two companies, of which Luhut is also known as the founder.

"The minister turned out to be affiliated with PT Genomics Solidaritas Indonesia. The PT business unit is GSI Lab which sells all kinds of COVID-19 tests: Sameday PCR Swab (275 thousand), Antigen Swab (95.000), PCR Mouth (495 thousand) thousand), S-RBD Quantitative Antibody (249 thousand)," wrote Agustinus.