Dissolution of PT. PANN, Evidence that the Minister of Transportation Does Not Have a Maritime Vision

Dissolution of PT. PANN, Evidence that the Minister of Transportation Does Not Have a Maritime Vision

Jakarta (Maritimnews) – The development of the national commercial fleet became increasingly popular in the early 1970s. In the midst of the excitement of the shipping world, an idea emerged to build a state-owned company engaged in financing the maritime industry.

The idea, which was first put forward by the Director General of Sea Transportation, Admiral TNI Haryono Nimpuno at that time, then received a positive response from the Minister of Transportation, Prof. Emil Salim. As a result, after long discussions, PP No. 18 of 1974 concerning the capital participation of the Republic of Indonesia for the establishment of a company in the field of developing the national commercial fleet which was signed by President Soeharto.

This BUMN is a vehicle for organizing a national commercial ship investment program under the name PT PANN. Entering the 1980s, accompanied by strategic industrial policies, this company also took a lot of part in providing financing for ship construction by domestic shipyards.

Successive Ministers of Transportation, since the era of Prof. Emil Salim, Roesmin Nurjadin, Azwar Anas, Haryanto Dhanutirto and so on, this company continues to grow and show its strength.

Although in 1991, PT PANN carried out a government assignment for the Subordinate Loan Agreement for Fishing Vessels and Ex-Lufthansa Boeing 737-200 Aircraft. These two assignments later caused PT PANN to die and continue to lose money.

However, the government continues to maintain the existence of this company. Especially in the era of President Joko Widodo in 2014 with his vision of a world maritime axis, it is fitting that this company can be saved and even become a pioneer in the progress of the national maritime industry.

However, what happened was the opposite. On December 23 2022, through Presidential Decree (Keppres) No. 25 of 2022 which was signed by President Joko Widodo, this company was officially dissolved.

Policy and transportation observer, Bambang Haryo Soekartono, believes that the president, through the Presidential Decree, is only an executor. All input and policy considerations are in the hands of his assistants, namely the relevant ministers. These include BUMN Minister Erick Thohir, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and of course Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

The observer who is familiarly called BHS regrets the advice from Jokowi’s ministers, especially the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, who should use various arguments for the nation’s maritime progress to maintain this company.

“This is proof that the Minister of Transportation does not have a maritime vision, and does not have a far-sighted view. “Even though PT PANN has a strategic role in national maritime development,” said BHS to Maritimnews, Thursday (16/2).

BHS continued, the Ministry of Transportation is actually the main ministry that embodies the president’s maritime vision in the fields of shipping, shipping and ports. However, the result of not understanding this vision has a gloomy impact on business in this sector.

BHS, who is the Chair of the Iperindo Advisory Board, also regrets the work of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment (Kemenko Marves) which oversees the coordination of the Ministry of Transportation.

“Likewise, Mr. Luhut as Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and Mr. Erick Thohir, cannot close PT PANN. “This is very counterproductive to the president’s maritime vision,” he stressed.

He believes that if PT PANN is maintained, the maritime economy will survive. The domestic shipbuilding and shipping industries really need funding at low interest rates.

“This can be done through PT PANN. Banks consider maritime business to be high risk. “For PT PANN, because it has had a maritime vision for a long time and is specialized in the maritime sector, it has become a consequence of supporting the maritime industry,” he explained.

BHS admits that since the last few years, PT PANN has become like an ordinary multi-finance company that accommodates capital for other non-maritime businesses. As a result, this company increasingly loses its identity and continues to suffer losses.

“So to welcome ASEAN Connectivity, our maritime industries must take part. Don’t let our maritime industry always be below Malaysia and Singapore. “Their maritime industry can revive because they have financing that focuses on maritime,” he said.

“The interest is no more than 30%, while with us through banking the interest can reach 60%. “They (Malaysia and Singapore) can get a third of our interest,” he concluded. (*)