Staff Of Erick Reveals The Cause Of Indofarma's Incapable Of Paying Employee Salaries

Staff of the Minister of SOEs Arya Sinulingga (Photo: Doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - Allegations of corruption ensnared PT Indofarma Tbk (INAF) resulting in cash flow from a bloody company. As a result, Indofarma was unable to pay employee salaries since March 2024.

The Special Staff of the Minister of SOEs, Arya Sinulingga, revealed that Indofarma has not been able to pay employee salaries since 2023.

Initially, he said, Indofarma's finances were problematic because its subsidiary PT Indofarma Global Medika (IGM) did not deposit the proceeds from the sale of Indofarma products. According to an internal audit, the funds that IGM should have deposited with Indofarma reached Rp470 billion.

Because of this condition, continued Arya, as a subsidiary of PT Bio Farma (Persero), Indofarma received financial assistance to pay part of the employee's salary.

"If Indofarma is not under Biofarma, maybe last year his salary was not paid. But instead last year it was paid, why? Because Biofarma has been assisted," Arya said in a virtual press conference, Tuesday, May 21.

According to Arya, Biofarma has spent billions of rupiah to pay the salaries of Indofarma employees. Thus, Biofarma must limit its expenditure to bear the obligations of its subsidiary. If it is not limited, then Biofarma's finances will be eroded.

"That's why now it's limited in the end, finally Biofarma can no longer spend money on Indofarma. That's why salary payments are hampered. If it continues to be done, it's a pity for Biofarma," said Arya.

Even so, Arya said Biofarma also cannot continue to pay the salaries of Indofarma employees.

"How much money does Biofarma have to go to Indofarma to help Indofarma? Yes, there is a limit too, right," he said.

Meanwhile, Indofarma is currently facing a lawsuit on the Suspension of Debt Payment Obligations (PKPU). One of the plaintiffs is PT Foresight Global submitted a PKPU to the company at the Central Jakarta Commercial Court on February 28, 2024.

Regarding the fate of Indofarma and its employees in the future, Arya admitted that his party would wait for the results of the PKPU trial.

"We'll see how the PKPU results will be and so on. Moreover, we know that Indofarma still gets jobs. But if he does work, usually the funding is measured by the holding. We still do that so that Indofarma can continue to carry out this operation," said Arya.

Company Admits Not Being Able To Pay Employee Salaries

Previously, President Director of PT Indofarma Tbk (INAF) Yeliandriani admitted that he had not paid employee salaries for the March 2024 period. The reason is because this state-owned pharmaceutical company is experiencing financial problems.

"The news that the company has not paid wages to employees for the March 2024 period is true," he said in an information disclosure of the Indonesia Stock Exchange, Thursday, April 18.

"Currently, the company does not yet have sufficient operational funds to fulfill employee wage obligations," he continued.

In addition, Yeliandriani explained, this condition was also due to the decision to Postpone Debt Payment Obligations (PKPU), which, although it did not have a direct impact on the company's operations, the company must coordinate with a team of administrators appointed by the court in accordance with the provisions of the legislation.

Yeliandriani said the company's financial condition would be submitted to the financial statements. Currently, he continued, the financial statements are still in the finalization of the Public Accounting Office (KAP) audit.

Even so, Yeliandriani ensured that the 2024 Eid al-Fitr holiday allowance (THR) had been paid by the company to employees on April 5, 2024, in full, according to a joint working agreement with Indofarma.

Yeliandriani also explained that the THR payment had been included in the operational cost proposal that would be proposed to the Temporary PKPU management team.

"The company has submitted an incidental report on the decision of the Temporary PKPU Case to the Indonesia Stock Exchange TP with letter Number 0698/DIR/IV/2024 dated April 1, 2024," he said.