Luhut Says A Pertamina Official Was Fired By Jokowi Because Of TKDN: His Careless Pertamina Asked For Mercy

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. (Photo: Instagram @ luhut, pandjaitan)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed that a new high-ranking official of PT Pertamina (Persero) was fired directly by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Furthermore, Luhut said that 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

"Yesterday, a high-ranking Pertamina official was fired by the president directly," he said at the 2021 National Working Meeting of Technology Innovation Ecosystem Strengthening of BPPT, 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, still importing pipes even though they can be made in Indonesia. I am sad to see that young people only prostitute their professionalism," he said.