House approves nomination of nine people for top posts at downstream oil, gas body

The House of Representatives Tuesday approved the nomination of nine people for the top posts at the newly formed body that manages the country?s downstream oil and gas sector, an official said.

The approval was made in the House?s plenary session early Tuesday, said TA Nur Winakun, spokesman and head of the legal affairs section of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Late last month, a House team picked the nine people after conducting a three-day examination on them.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who had submitted the people?s names to the House, will appoint one of them head of the body.

They were TA Nur Winakun; House member Tubagus Haryono; Lubna Amir, a business consultant; Amat Ramlan Ginting, head of the Maluku provincial office of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources; Shahabudin, director of exploitation and trade at the oil and gas directorate general; Hanggono T Nugroho from National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas); Hairiyati, former executive of state gas transmission and distribution PGN; Iwan Faidi from Indonesia Bank Restructuring Agency (BPPN); and Eri Purnomohadi, chairman of National Entrepreneurs Association.

Tubagus Haryono is tipped to get the body head post.

The body, formed last year based on the current oil and gas law, is tasked with managing oil products and their distribution along with natural gas pipeline transportation. (godang)