Prabowo Proposes No SOE Hotels, Erick Thohir: I Agree

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir. (Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Presidential candidate number 02, Prabowo Subianto suggested that there should be no need for SOEs to move in the hotel sector. He also assessed the need for privatization and rationalization of state-owned companies that do not have a strategic role.

Responding to this, SOE Minister Erick Thohir admitted that he agreed with Prabowo's proposal regarding the privatization and rationalization of state-owned companies. He said it had also been done by him.

Erick said that under his leadership the SOE cleaning program was carried out. As a result, out of 108 companies have now been cut to the remaining 41 companies. In fact, he admitted that he was targeting the remaining 30 companies.

"Yes, it's very supportive, and friends know that we are on the roadmap 2024-2034, if we can get 30 SOEs, which is currently 41 this year. From 108 to 41 it's only this year, now in the future it's 30. Indeed, it's in accordance with the roadmap," he said after the Mandiri Investment Forum event, at the Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta, Tuesday, March 5.

Regarding state-owned hotels, Erick said that every state-owned company used to have a hotel. However, said Erick, these hotels have now been consolidated into one umbrella.

"And as Pak Prabowo said, does it take a lot of SOEs to have hotels, I think it has been conveyed. Indeed, in the past, every SOE had a hotel first. Now is my time, these hotels are consolidated into one umbrella, namely the number of 122 hotels. Is that necessary? Yes, I don't think it's something significant, "he explained.

Currently, Erick said that SOEs are carrying out three things. First, SOEs become healthy corporations and become part of fiscal contributions, both taxes, dividends, and others.

"Second, of course what is called economic development. As an example we make Sanur, it becomes a health tourism center. Then we make a developer, what developer, that's part of it," he explained.

Finally, continued Erick, the most important thing is humans who move the economy. According to him, these three things must be maintained by SOEs.

"The most important thing is people's economy, where the SOE was the previous 92 percent ultra micro, micro is still in BUMN. Now things like this that we have to protect," he said.