Gov?t finally issues regulation on mining authority transfer.

The government has finally issued Implementing Regulations (PP) No. 75/2001 to support the implementation of regional autonomy in the mining sector, a senior official from the ministry of energy and mineral resources said.

?In essence, PP. No. 75/2001 regulates the transfer of mining authority from central government to local governments, the rights and obligations of local governments and the guidelines in handling the mining industry,? Wimpy S. Tjetjep, director general of geology and mineral resources told Petromindo.com in Bandung on Sunday.

He hoped that the new regulation would be able to diminish confusion in local administration as to the scope of their authority and the scope of the service they must render as well as confusion among the mining industry.

Wimpy added that his office would soon hold tour to mining provinces to disseminate the regulation.

The long awaited regulation was initially set to be issued in the form of presidential decree early this year upon the implementation of autonomy law in January 2001. However, Bisnis Indonesia daily reported early this year that the then ministry of home affairs and regional autonomy had withdrawn the draft from the state secretary's office because the ministry was not involved in the drafting process of the decree. The draft decree was sent to the state secretary's office to be approved by then president Abdurrahman Wahid. (alex/godang)