Grouping protests new oil, gas bill

A grouping of oil and gas producing regions, called FKDPM, criticized the new oil and gas bill which is expected to be approved next month by the House of Representatives.

FKDPM said in a press conference Monday that the bill had not accommodated the aspiration of the oil and gas producing areas, and called on the House to delay approving the bill.

One of the FKDPM?s demands is a position in the new executive body, to be set up by the government once the bill has been passed into law, which would eventually take the role of the state-owned oil and gas firm in overseeing oil and gas contractors. The grouping said that its representative must sit in the executive body to help ensure that their interests are protected.

FKDPM said that if its demands were not fulfilled, there would be ?fatal? consequences.

FKDPM, set up earlier this month, groups some 14 provinces, 54 regencies, and 4 mayoralties oil and gas-producing regions.

Elsewhere, FDPM also demanded a transparency in the calculation and allocation of oil and gas revenue between the central and regional government.(Godang)