NGOs, legislators may seek special autonomy for E. Kalimantan to win KPC shares
Wednesday, May 1 2002 - 03:37 PM WIB
The delegation, which comprises more than 20 NGO leaders and provincial legislators, is scheduled to meet with President Megawati Sukarnoputri on Thursday, delegation member Arifin Leo told Petromindo.com and Antara News Agency.
They will ask the President to guarantee completion by end-June of the divestment of a 51 percent stake in KPC, and make sure that East Kalimantan will hold the shares.
?Together with other people in East Kalimantan, we will strive for special autonomy status for the province if we are disallowed to purchase KPC shares,? Arifin said. Aceh and Papua are the only provinces with such status.
KPC is set to divest 51 percent of its shares by end-June. The firm originally planned to complete its divestment program last year, but East Kalimantan's insistence to become the preferred bidder for the shares caused divestment delay.
Meanwhile, the central government has indicated that it also wants the shares.
Anglo-Australian Rio Tinto and Anglo-American BP equally owns KPC, the world's largest coal mining company.
KPC operates coal mines in Sangatta in East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. (Godang)