Marlina MS, Jakarta – The government is targeting state revenue of privatization activities to reach Rp3 trillion by next year.

State-Owned Enterprises Minister Sugiharto is optimistic that the target can be reached taking into account the 139 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that are now ready to be privatized. "So, there will be no excuses that the target cannot be reached," he said Wednesday (16/8) in Jakarta.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his speech, delivered before a plenary session of the People's Consultative Assembly/the House of Representatives, yesterday (17/8) that one of the alternatives of budget financing, the basis of which is domestic income, plans to reach Rp51.3 trillion and has privatization as its source.

According to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the financing source of privatization has been planned at its lowest level because the government has realized that the privatization program should not be solely aimed at meeting the financing of a budget deficit. "However, the most important issue is an attempt to improve and to increase the SOEs' performance, as Law Number 19/2003 concerning SOEs points out," he said.