Sandiaga Uno: Jakarta Profits More by Letting Go of Beer Shares

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno asserted that the government’s plan to let go of its shares in alcohol beverage producer Delta Djakarta was the right move after all. Sandiaga calculated that the Jakarta provincial government would generate a larger profit by selling rather than maintaining its shares.

According to Sandiaga, the government will eventually receive more than Rp1 trillion if it manages to sell 26.25 percent of its shares in Delta Djakart and is deposited. He argued that the dividend from maintaining shares in the alcoholic beverage producer will only produce Rp40 billion annually.

“We can earn Rp50-60 billion by depositing it for a year, which does not depend on the savings deposits interest,” said Sandiaga Uno at City Hall yesterday.

He further added that the Rp40 billion from its shares in Delta Djakarta has no significant effect toward the city’s regional budget. He further compared the contributions of other companies such as Bank DKI that is able to generate Rp700 billion in revenues.

Up until this moment the discussion between the Jakarta provincial government and the Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) upon letting go its shares in Delta Djakarta has yet to be continued following several rejections from DPRD members.

One DPRD member that refused the offer on letting go Jakarta’s shares is Prasetio Edi Marsudi from the PDIP faction. He views that letting go of the shares would be a mistake since Delta Djakarta is considered as a healthy company and will never be able to stop the production of alcoholic beverages in Jakarta.

M YUSUF MANURUNG