Govt to appoint Pertamina?s top leaders by November

The government will appoint the boards of commissioners and directors of state oil and gas firm Pertamina by November this year, when it will also officially launch the company as a limited liability company, Koran Tempo daily reported Wednesday.

?We are making preparations for it,? the paper quoted as saying Roes Aryawijaya, deputy to the state minister of state enterprises in charge of mining, energy, strategic industry and telecommunication.

The government is also finalizing the drafting of Pertamina?s statutes and rules, and the auditing of its assets and finances, Roes told reporters.

The government issued a decree this year to change Pertamina into an ordinary limited liability company, following the implementation of the Oil and Gas Law of 2001 which ends the firm's decades-long monopoly over the country?s oil and gas industry.

Roes is among several names tipped to take over from Baihaki Hakim as president director of Pertamina. Others include Harry Purnomo, president director of East Kalimantan-based PT Badak NGL; Gatot Karyoso Wirojudo, former director of Pertamina; Iin Arifin Takhyan, oil and gas director general; Cyriel Noerhadi, former president director of the Jakarta Stock Exchange; and Syafruddin Temenggung, chairman and the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency. (*)