"The obligation to pay employees salary arrears has almost been met, with only 10 percent left. Once the obligation has been completed, we will invite investors to take over Merpati with prior consent from the DPR (House of Representatives)," State Enterprises Ministrys Deputy for Business Restructuring and Development Aloysius Kiik Ro said here on Thursday.
The ministry is also completing the process of restructuring Merpati as part of efforts to offer it to a third party, he stated.
"To offer it to the public, of course, we must await directives from the House Commission VI as a working partner of the State Enterprises Ministry," he said.
The ministry has no plan yet to hold a hearing with the House Commission VI regarding Merpati, he said.
Inviting strategic investors is better than liquidating Merpati, he said.
"We will invite new investors. Merpati is still indebted. I forget the amount of debt. But to be sure, the amount of debt is larger than that of its assets," he stated.
The obligation to pay employees salary arrears for two years has been completed, he said.
"This means that we must first settle obligation to employees and later conduct right sizing," he said.
Merpati ceased its operation on February 2014, having suffered a financial deficit due to its debts, which have reached nearly Rp6 trillion. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
