Old forces want Pertamina's monopoly retained: Legislator

Legislator Pramono Anung of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle said on Thursday that old forces that benefited a lot from state oil and gas firm Pertamina had been campaigning to retain Pertamina's monopoly in the new oil and gas bill that would be deliberated by the House of Representatives.

"The old forces are those who have been enjoying excessive privileges from Pertamina's monopoly in the upstream and downstream sectors," Pramono said.

He said the old forces had used Law No. 8/1971 on Pertamina to enrich themselves. They had used Pertamina as the source of corruption, collusion and nepotism. And therefore, they wanted to retain Pertamina's monopoly both in the upstream and downstream sectors in the new bill so that they would not lost altogether their privileges.

Pramono noted that the new oil and gas bill had a reform spirit that would reduce or gradually abolish Pertamina's monopoly and make the company a professional, and international-level oil and gas company.

"However, there are forces that want to retain the essence of Law No. 8/1971 in the new bill. They have launched a guerrilla to achieve their goals," Pramono said, adding that what he meant by guerrilla was lobbying conducted by the old forces against those who would be involved in deliberation of the new bill.

People whom the old forces were lobbying were mainly members of the House of Representatives' Commission VIII that deals with energy and mineral resources.

Therefore, Pramono suggested that the House form a special team to deliberate the oil and gas bill. Members of the special team should cover all factions and also a number of commissions, including Commission II that deal. (*)