FKK ? Hulu Migas to intensify pro-industry campaign

The Oil and Gas Public Relations? Forum of Communication (FKK-Hulu Migas) will soon intensify a campaign to promote the strategic roles played by the oil and gas industry in Indonesia.

?We?ll pursue such campaign so that the general public will get a deeper knowledge about the important role of the industry,? the newly-elected chairman of FKK-Hulu Migas, Joang Laksanto, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

FKK-Hulu Migas was set up in 2009, and was chaired by Mohammad Harun of Pertamina for the period of 2009 ? 2012.

Joang Laksanto, who is also the senior manager of communication with PT Medco Energy International, pointed out that the campaign was needed to clear out all misunderstandings among the public that the industry is, for example, not efficient, and only benefiting foreign investors.

According to him, the public has now seen the role of the oil and gas industry as declining. ?The public relations of the industry have to work harder in order to change the negative perception into a positive perception among the general public,? he said.

He noted that the role of public relations was even more important now, after the dissolution of the upstream authority BPMIGAS on 13th November 2012 following a ruling made by the Constitutional Court that the institution was unconstitutional.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik, who chairs a temporary working unit called SK MIGAS - replacing the now defunct BPMIGAS, has confirmed the importance of such campaign.

?That?s why we?ll mobilize all public relations in the industry to pursue efforts of intensifying the social campaign,? he added.

The oil and gas industry has contributed a substantial state income with an average of 25 percent of the total government?s income per year, generated 7 percent of the country?s GDP per year, and employed hundred of thousands of people. Last year, the state income from the industry amounted to US$ 35 billion.

Editing by Benget Besalicto Tnb.