DKI Jakarta’s Regional House of People’s Representatives (DPRD) Chairman Prasetio Edi Marsudi has urged the DKI Jakarta Governor, Anies Baswedan, to sell the provincial government’s shares of beer company PT Delta Djakarta Tbk.
“Go ahead and decide to sell shares, the Governor (Anies) has a discretion,” said Prasetio.
He went on to say that the right to discretion, or to make decisions alone, had been exercised in the era of former DKI Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. Prasetio emphasised that he did not want to be involved in the sale of shares in PT Delta Djakarta because he assessed that there would be potential state losses due to the sale of these shares.
“Go ahead and do it, but I’m not participating,” said Prasetio.
He admitted that he had consulted several law enforcement agencies and the Financial Services Authority (OJK) regarding this matter. If he agrees to sell PT Delta’s shares, it is feared that there will be an ongoing legal process.
Previously, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has written four letters to the DKI Jakarta DPRD to discuss the sale of PT Delta’s shares. However, until now, Prasetio has not responded to the letter whilst four factions have supported the sale of shares.
PT Delta Djakarta is the holder of the production and distribution license for several international beer brands. The provincial government has held shares in the said company since the era of Governor Ali Sadikin’s leadership in 1970.
The average profit that PT Delta earns for the regional government is Rp50 billion per year. Governor Anies Baswedan had promised to sell shares in the beer company during the 2017 DKI Pilkada campaign because he wanted to keep the younger generation away from drinking.
In addition, Anies said that the 26.25 percent stake in PT Delta Djakarta which is owned by the Jakarta government is not profitable. By selling the shares, the money could be allocated to building public facilities and meeting the basic needs of residents, according to Anies.
“From the point of view of residents’ needs, residents actually need clean water more than liquor,” said Anies on 24th January 2017.
After being elected, Anies and his deputy at the time, Sandiaga Uno, announced their intention to release shares in PT Delta Djakarta on 16th May 2018.
“When I was in office, I told Pak Anies; it was more strategic if it focused on managing assets that had a direct impact on the community,” said Sandiaga on 8th March 2019. Sandiaga added that ownership of shares in the beer company was not strategic because if the shares were sold, the funds can be used to build public facilities.
The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government began to combine share ownership in the name of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and the DKI Jakarta Investment Management Board which reached 26.25 percent in 2019.
This effort is one of the processes leading to the sale of Delta Djakarta’s shares.
Also Read The Trouble With Alcohol in Indonesia