In The Aftermath Of Ahok's Comments, DPR Commission VI Will Summon Pertamina's Directors

Ahok together with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). (Photo: Instagram @basukibtp)

JAKARTA - Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok is back in the public spotlight because of his controversial statements. He said that many state corporate governance has been inefficient. One of his concerns is the appointment of a board of directors at Pertamina, which is full of politics and lobbying.

Responding to this, Commission VI of the DPR as a working partner of state-owned enterprises (BUMN) will summon Ahok as President Commissioner of PT Pertamina (Persero) and other board of directors.

Chairman of Commission VI Faisol Riza said the summon was intended to ask for clarity on the harsh criticism conveyed by the former Governor of DKI Jakarta.

"Yes, there is a plan to summon Pertamina and it will need to be done in the near future," he told VOI, Thursday, September 17.

Faisol admitted that he would ask for clarity in detail regarding the problems faced by Pertamina. Given that this large BUMN is expected to be able to play a deeper role in accelerating the recovery of the national economy in this new habit era.

"We are also pleased that Pak Ahok conveyed this, because so far information about Pertamina is also limited. In fact, I want to encourage Pak Ahok to talk more comprehensively about the problems that exist in Pertamina and whether to find solutions offered by Pak Ahok," he said.

Previously, former DKI Jakarta Governor Bahsuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok proposed that the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) led by Erick Thohir be dissolved. This proposal is not without reason. According to him, many state corporate governance has been inefficient.

Ahok said that he felt this bad governance immediately after entering the BUMN circle, or after being appointed as President Commissioner of PT Pertamina (Persero).

"The BUMN Ministry must be disbanded before Pak Jokowi steps down. We are building a kind of Temasek, a kind of Indonesia Incorporation," he said, quoted from the YouTube POIN video, Wednesday, September 16.

Election of Directors is Political

For example at Pertamina, said Ahok, the position of director or commissioner is very thick with political lobbying and division of positions. In fact, according to Ahok, the replacement of the board of directors was not discussed with him but directly to the Minister of BUMN.

"He could even change directors without telling me. I was angry too, so the directors of all lobbies went to the minister because it was the one who determined the minister. The commissioners were on average entrusted by the ministries," he said.

High Salaries of Pertamina Directors

Ahok also alluded to the matter of salaries at Pertamina which were deemed unreasonable in managing the company. Ahok said that he also often found Pertamina officials still receiving large salary facilities even though they had clearly been removed from their positions.

"People who are removed from the position of president director of a subsidiary, for example, have a salary of more than Rp100 million, the time they are removed but the salary is still the same. The reason is that he is an old person, the salary should follow your position, but they make a large base salary," he said.

"So imagine a person working for so many years, the salary of 75 million is removed, no work is paid that much. It's crazy, I think this can be prosecuted. So that's what we want to change the system," he continued.

Ironically, said Ahok, this state-owned company has a lot of debt. This is because Pertamina did not try to reduce expenses but instead chose to go into debt.

"Pertamina now owes 16 billion United States (US) dollars. Every time the brain just borrows money. I have been upset about this, continue to borrow money, want to continue acquisitions, I said I don't think about exploration, we still have 12 potential basins. You have oil, you have gas, what are you doing abroad? So don't do it, I think there is a commission for buying oil from outside, "he said.