Erick Thohir's Action To Remove Pertamina's Business Supporting Director Is Considered Strange And Odd

SOE Minister Erick Thohir. (Photo: Maria Trisnawati/VOI)

JAKARTA - Executive Director of the Center of Energy and Resources Indonesia (CERI) Yusri Usman highlighted the actions of SOE Minister Erick Tohir who removed the Business Supporting Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) holding Dedi Sunardi.

Yusri thinks this policy is strange and funny when it comes to the burning of the Oil Fuel Terminal (TBBM) or Pertamina Plumpang Depot. This is because Dedi is not an official who is directly related to the accident.

"If it is reviewed after the Pertamina Holding organization was formed with Subholding by the Ministry of SOEs, the full control of fuel distribution operations is directly located in Subholding, in this case PT Pertamina Patra Niaga," said Yusri Usman to VOI, Thursday, March 9.

According to Yusri, the step was to remove the Director of Business Developers of Pertamina Holding, whose control range was far above with the Plumpang TBBM depot fire being a big question mark.

"It can be read by the public, the policy of the Minister of SOEs seems to have a political nuance," he explained.

Yusri assessed that the punishment taken by the Ministry of SOEs related to the Plumpang TBBM Depot fire was more appropriate to be given to the President Director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Alfian Nasution.

Yusri said, if not the President Director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Alfian Nasution, at least remove the Executive General Manager of Pertamina Marketing Operation Regional (MOR) III who is directly responsible for TBBM in the Jakarta and Jabodetabek areas.

"Including the Head of the Plumpang TBBM Depot," he said.

Yursi said that if you look at the successive fires over the last two years, the Balongan Refinery, Cilacap Refinery and Balikpapan Refinery as well as the travo fire for the Rokan Power Plant on December 7, 2022, which caused an unplaned shutdown, resulted in production dropping to 70,000 barrels per day, should be the top leadership of Pertamina.

"The President Director of PT Pertamina (Persero) Holding, Nicke Widyawati, should be removed by the Minister of SOEs," said Yusri.