PT PELINDO TOLD TO COOPERATE WITH REGIONAL GOVTS

Jakarta, July 31 (ANTARA) - State-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) should not only build its own empire but start also to establish cooperation with regional governments and other parties, a minister said.

State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil made the statement at a function to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between PT Pelindo-II and Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin on development of port and navigation facilities along the Batanghari river in Jambi here on Friday.

The minister said the cooperation between PT Pelindo-II and the Jambi provincial administration was expected to work out productively in the local people's interest.

The cooperation, he said, was the right kind for Jambi and therefore PT Pelindo should be encouraged to continue cooperation with other provincial administrations.

"PT Pelindo should not build its own empire. For me, the most important thing for the company is to give its best possible service to the people rather than making big profits for itself," Djalil said.

The minister also asked all state-owned enterprises (BUMNs) to start to dream about creating something great for the people based on comprehensive concepts.

But he added that the concepts should then be tried out to determine whether or not it was appropriate to realized them.

"I want all state-owned companies to have greater concepts. How to fund their realization can be solved later," the minister said.

According to him, what happened so far was that BUMNs were only good at selling their potentials but without being followed up by project development concepts.

Meanwhile, PT Pelindo's superintendent Lambock V Nahattands said Jambi port at present had a bad condition and therefore it could be used in six months time because of terrible silt-up.

"Therefore, following the construction of Batanghari port, the problem can be overcome soon," Lambock said.