TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice presidential hopeful number 02 Sandiaga Uno criticized the policy issued by President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo which prioritizing State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) for the infrastructure development, rather than private corporates. Besides, Jokowi set aside the scheme of cooperation between the government and business entities (KPBU).

According to Sandi, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) or private contractor associations also shared the same objection. “This issue has not been responded well by the government,” said Sandiaga in an event dubbed Outlook of Indonesian Economy 2019 in the Prabowo - Sandiaga Media Center, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, Wednesday, January 9.

The former Jakarta deputy governor said infrastructure projects should be offered as much as possible to private parties or local entrepreneurs to generate a fair competition between SOE and private companies.

“But, the government clearly prioritizes SOE, so we will later encourage more cooperation with private parties for infrastructure projects,” said Sandiaga Uno, pledging should he win the upcoming election. The public business cooperation (KPBU) scheme would be then set as the main option in financing commercial infrastructure projects.

Sandi admitted that Jokowi had started to implement the scheme in several toll projects. However, he added, the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) and Public Works and Housing Ministry would be later encouraged to apply the scheme.

“I think Finance Ministry has the same opinion [about this issue],” Sandiaga Uno concluded.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO