Economist Urges Stronger Governance in Pertamina Transformation
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- An economist urges Pertamina to focus on efficiency and transparency as it undergoes transformation, highlighting its critical role in Indonesia’s economic stability.
- The government continues state-owned enterprise consolidation, with Pertamina’s restructuring already generating hundreds of millions of dollars in efficiency gains.
- Experts stress that national energy security requires collective effort beyond Pertamina, involving the government, regulators, and broader stakeholders.
Jakarta — An economist from the Islamic University of North Sumatra, Benjamin Gunawan, has emphasized that Pertamina’s ongoing business and organizational transformation must remain focused on efficiency and transparency.
“The government and all stakeholders need to provide stronger support to continuously improve Pertamina’s governance. Business and structural transformation should move forward with a clear emphasis on efficiency and transparency,” Gunawan said in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
Gunawan noted that Pertamina plays a crucial role in Indonesia’s economic fundamentals. The company’s performance is closely linked to national indicators, particularly in maintaining energy supply resilience.
A stable energy supply, he explained, contributes significantly to price stability for goods and services, while also supporting industrial activities and household consumption.
However, Gunawan added that achieving national energy independence remains a complex challenge that requires collective effort. Strategic issues such as refinery development and reducing reliance on energy imports should not be placed solely on Pertamina, but instead demand coordinated commitment from the government, regulators, and other stakeholders.
“Most importantly, maintaining national energy security must remain the top priority, as it serves as the foundation of Indonesia’s economic development,” he said.
President Prabowo Subianto, meanwhile, announced that the government is accelerating the consolidation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), targeting a reduction to around 250 companies. He assured that employees of dissolved entities would be retained.
“Out of more than a thousand SOEs, we have already closed over 200. Eventually, we aim to streamline them to around 300,” Prabowo said.
Chief Operating Officer of Danantara and Head of the SOE Management Agency (BP BUMN), Dony Oskaria, revealed that the consolidation of several subholdings within Pertamina has generated efficiency gains of approximately US$600–700 million.
He added that similar consolidation strategies will be applied across other SOE groups as part of a broader transformation agenda aimed at creating leaner, healthier, and more efficient state enterprises capable of delivering greater contributions to the national economy.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara
