Ahok Opens Up: Pertamina Often Performs Bad Habits, Often Delays Project Payments To MSMEs

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - President Commissioner of PT Pertamina (Persero) Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok revealed that the company he leads has bad habits. The habit in question is often delaying project payments to partners or third parties (vendors) who are invited to collaborate, especially MSMEs.

Furthermore, Ahok said, since he was included in the composition of the board of directors of the state-owned company, there have been many complaints from vendors who have not paid the cooperation contract.

Therefore, Ahok then changed the company's controlling tender auction system to be more transparent. The goal is to speed up payments.

"In Pertamina there are a lot of complaints, including the procurement of payments which is complicated, so Pertamina has a habit of not wanting to pay (vendors). Even though we want the disbursement of the APBN we want it to be fast, in the end what happened to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) half dead he borrowed a bank , the profits are thinning purchasing power down," he said in a virtual discussion, Thursday, July 8

The former governor of DKI Jakarta considers that this kind of situation is often used by mafias who offer disbursement services for project payments. This is also suspected to involve dishonest company officials.

"There are third parties who offer services that can take care of, make it easier and can help (project payments)," he explained.

If the situation still occurs in the future, said Ahok, the vendors can personally complain to him. In addition, it can also open a voice to the media so that the incident does not happen again.

Furthermore, Ahok also guaranteed to clean Pertamina of the bad images that had been attached so far. For example, there are many risks of bribery and corruption. He said this effort was also made to save state money from acts of corruption.

"When it comes to Pertamina, report it to me. I will definitely work on it later if there are various things, that's my guarantee," he said.