JAKARTA – The Executive Director of the Center for Budget Analysis (CBA), Uchok Sky Khadafi, has strongly criticized the lack of transparency in the management of maritime vessel chartering budgets within PT PLN Energi Primer Indonesia (PLN EPI). The value of the vessel charters is said to be extremely large, ranging from Rp4.2 trillion to Rp5.7 trillion per year, yet is considered not to be accompanied by adequate contractual transparency.
Uchok specifically highlighted the cooperation contract between PLN EPI’s subsidiary, PT Pelayaran Bahtera Adhiguna (BAG), and PT Pelayaran Nasional Bina Buana Raya. In the contract, the charter value is not explicitly stated and is instead based on variables such as shipping routes, type of cargo, and fuel oil (BBM) costs.
According to Uchok, this type of contractual arrangement is highly risky. He likened it to a “blank receipt,” as the value can fluctuate and is difficult to audit objectively. Such conditions are considered to potentially harm state finances and open the door to legal issues in the future.
“Contracts worth trillions of rupiah should clearly state the charter value, not rely on variables that can be reinterpreted. This does not reflect professional and accountable state-owned enterprise governance,” Uchok said in his statement.
He also compared the contract with vessel chartering practices at other shipping companies, which generally specify charter values in a detailed and transparent manner, making them auditable by the public and supervisory authorities.
As of the time this report was published, neither PLN Energi Primer Indonesia nor PT Pelayaran Bahtera Adhiguna had issued an official clarification regarding the concerns raised by CBA.
