Ministers sign agreement to resolve conflicting regulations
Wednesday, March 4 2015 - 01:35 AM WIB
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said signed an MoU on Tuesday with other ministers to help resolve conflicting regulations and regulatory obstacles in the exploitation of natural resources in the country in a bid to help accelerate investment in key sectors such as mining, electricity, and oil and gas.
Sudirman said that one example is the forestry law, which has hampered the development of geothermal power plant projects as the law stipulates that no investment activities are allowed in protected/conservation forest, while on the other hand about 60 percent of the country?s geothermal reserves are located in such forest areas.
The law has also hampered the planned construction of power transmission lines, he added. Sudirman, however, did not provide further explanation as to how resolve this regulatory obstacle.
Other ministers signing the MoU included Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya, Law Minister Yasonna H. Laoly, Agrarian Minister Ferry Musyidan Baldan, Minister/Chairman of the National Development Planning Board Adrianof Chaniago, Fishery Minister Susi Puji Astuti and Minister of Underdeveloped Areas and Transmigration Marwan Jafar.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak