Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT Barito Pacific Tbk (BRPT) said on Tuesday its net profit increased eight-fold to Rp226.4 billion in the first semester of 2011 from Rp24.9 billion in the same period a year earlier.

"Petrochemical business unit contributed 99.5 percent of the company`s total income and the rest from forestry, plantation and property business units," PT Barito Pacific Tbk senior vice president for investor relations Agustino Sudjono said.

He attributed the surge in net profit to the rising profit before tax which climbed 87.9 percent to Rp353.8 billion in the first half of 2011 from Rp188.3 billion in the same period last year.

The company`s total income also rose 13.9 percent to Rp10 trillion in the six months through June 2011 from Rp8.8 trillion in the same period last year, he said.

"(The surge in) net profit suggests that the company`s business at present and in the future will remain solid amidst the global economic turmoil," he said.

"The first-semester financial performance sends a positive signal to shareholders and stakeholders about optimism of the company`s short-, medium, and long-term businesses," he said.

As per June 30, 2011, Barito Pacific`s assets stood at Rp1.29 trillion, suggesting that the company`s financial condition was strong and sound, he said.

PT Barito Pacific was established in 1979 and listed its shares with the Jakarta and Surabaya stock exchanges now known as the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 1993.

The company is engaged in forestry, petrochemical, property and plantation sectors. (*)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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