Inalum praised for doubling profits

The Indonesian Resources Studies (Iress) praised on Sunday the performance of state-owned aluminum producer PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum) for doubling its April-December 2014 profits from the same period of the previous fiscal year.

“Inalum’s increased net profits show that Indonesians in charge of the company’s management have mastered aluminum processing,” Iress president director Marwan Batubara said as quoted by Antara in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.

According to official data, Inalum’s production of aluminum bars reached 199,692 tons from April to December 2014, up 4.1 percent from 190,363 tons in the same period of the previous year.

Marwan said the company’s success could not be separated from the work performance of its management.

With its doubled profits, he said, Inalum had demonstrated that it had made fundamental improvements that had eventually led to a significant increase in profits.

“It is hoped that Inalum’s performance can improve further in the future,” said Marwan, adding that the company should not become complacent because of its achievement.

Marwan also said that it was high time that Inalum added power plants,improved factory capacity and upgraded aging smelters.

“In principle, Inalum must upgrade its facilities and infrastructure as soon as possible to support its performance in the years ahead,” he said.