Viral Hashtag #PTBMEPailit, Expert: Can't Pay Off Debt, PTBME Can Be Bankrupted Without Legal Process

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

The bankruptcy lawsuit against PT Bumi Merapi Energi (BME) has gone viral on social media, even the hashtag #PTBME BanyakUtang and #PTBMEPailit are trending topics on Twitter. The viral PT BME is because the coal mining company is considered to have no good intentions to pay off its debts and is currently facing a PKPU lawsuit.

Responding to this, Digital Business Observer Tuhu Nugraha assessed that negative news is indeed easier to go viral and becomes a hot topic of conversation among netizens.

Because according to him, the viral hashtag will have a negative impact if covered by mainstream media. In addition, Tuhu said that this greatly affects investor confidence.

"If it has gone viral, it will certainly tarnish the investment climate in the coal business. So that the company should first solve the core of the problem, namely the company's debt. For example, in this case, debt restructuring, then next save its reputation, especially in the presence of the most important stakeholders, for example regulators, investors and consumers," Tuhu told reporters, Monday, July 24.

Tuhu said that the role of netizens on social media could reveal the negative side of PTBME.

"Of course it has a negative influence because it affects the company's image as well as the investment climate of coal companies in Indonesia," he said.

Meanwhile, according to Trisakti University legal expert Abdul Fickar Hadjar, this PKPU lawsuit is something that must be watched out for because it has the potential to be bankrupt. Therefore, Fickar assessed that the judge in the PKPU trial will determine whether PT BME is bankrupt or not.

"So what can judge whether this lawsuit is simple or not is the panel of judges in the process of proof. Even the debtor will go bankrupt by itself without further legal proceedings when the debtor is unable to pay off his debts," said Fickar.

According to him, as long as the curator can fully register the debt debt fact, this process becomes simple.

"The choice is that the PKPU program is accepted and implemented, there is a possibility that debt payments can be 100 percent, but if it is bankrupt, the proportional payment will be proportional to the percentage of bankruptcy assets," he added.

"But this PKPU also ends in bankruptcy, if the debtor is unable to pay off his debts as agreed," he explained again.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Economist Yusuf Rendy Manilet also responded to information that PT BME was losing money even though the trend of coal sales in recent times has been quite high.

"Although the trend is still at a fairly high level, when compared to the previous period, I think some commodity prices this year are relatively lower," said Yusuf.

So according to him, it is possible that if there are losses submitted by coal companies, the audit process and examination by auditors affiliated with the government are important to be carried out.

"This is to verify that the climate conveyed by coal companies is true and there is no element of manipulation, especially in the context of utilizing tax reporting loopholes or commonly known as tax avoidance," he said.