Control on expatriates now handled by manpower ministry

The supervision on expatriates working at oil and gas companies has been transferred to the manpower ministry as part of the gradual implementation of the new oil and gas law, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Thursday.

?With the transfer, all the control on foreign workers at oil and gas companies will be handled by the manpower ministry,? said Manpower Minister Jacob Nuwawe following a meeting with Minister of Energy and Mineral Recourses Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

Previously the control over the foreign workers at oil and gas companies was handled by state oil company Pertamina?s production sharing contractors management division. Under the new oil and gas law, the supervision on foreign workers will be handled by an agency under the ministry of energy and mineral resources.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that the US$100 monthly fee paid by foreign workers would be used by his ministry to promote training programs of local workers working in oil and gas companies. At present, the money is transferred directly to the state coffer as state revenues. (*)