Geothermal industry under regional supervision: INAGA

The Indonesian Geothermal Association (INAGA) maintained that the authority to supervise and manage the country's geothermal resources lay with the regional administrations.

Association chairman Puguh Sugiharto said the association's opinion was based on the fact that the Autonomy Law No. 22/1999 and the Revenue Sharing between Central and Regional Governments Law No. 25/1999 did not mention anything about geothermal industry. "According to the agreement (with the government), if it is not mentioned in both laws, that means the (supervision of) geothermal industry is given to the regions," Pungguh said on the sidelines of the post-Idul Fitri get-together on Tuesday.

"Geothermal is not part of oil and gas," he added.

Thus far, the central government has yet to announce that it had transferred the supervision of geothermal industry to regions.

The industry has been for decades put under the supervision of state oil and gas company Pertamina.

Pungguh said the association had made visits to several regencies to approach local authorities, explain to them on geothermal resources in their respective areas.

"For instance, we have made the so-called Garut declaration with the area's regent. There, we explain what geothermal is, how to develop the resources as well as the problems in developing the resources," Pungguh said.

He said INAGA found that West Java is among the regions, which were already prepared to manage their own geothermal resources. Geothermal resources were found in Darajat, Wayang Windu, Kamojang and Mount Salak in the province.

Pungguh further said INAGA planned to disseminate information on geothermal industry to all regions cross the country.

As part of the national campaigns to promote the development of geothermal resources, the association would hold its fifth annual conference and exhibition in Yogyakarta from March 7 to 8 this year, he said, adding the event would be opened by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri. (Godang)