New govt to finalize drafting of general mining bill: Purnomo
Wednesday, February 25 2004 - 06:14 AM WIB
"Admittedly, the current government cannot complete the drafting process," Purnomo said Wednesday in his hearing with Commission VIII of the House of Representatives in charge of energy and mineral resources.
Indonesia will hold elections for legislative assemblies (DPR, DPD and DPRD) in April and presidential election in June. However, the presidential election will be held again in September if the June elections fail to turn out a new president.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri had initially planned to submit the general mining bill to DPR early this year.
Meanwhile, Purnomo told Petromindo.com earlier that an inter-ministerial team preparing the general mining bill would retract the draft law it had submitted to the President for approval on grounds that it contained stipulations on geothermal resources and water resources.
"Stipulations on geothermal resources and water resources have to be taken out of the bill. They will be regulated by special laws," the minister said.
Last September, DPR passed into law the geothermal resources bill submitted by the government. Meanwhile, the government is completing the water resources bill.
The current Mining Law of 1967 is considered ineffective because many of its clauses are in conflict with the 1999 Autonomy Law. Meanwhile, the mining bill to be submitted to the parliament tries to strike a new balance between the interest of mining investors and the nation's. (godang)