Pertamina defends House members? visit to East Java

State owned oil and gas company Pertamina has defended the planned visit of some members of the House of Representatives (DPR) to several oil and gas facilities in East Java, saying that the legislators are invited to help solve the acute gas shortage in the province, Neraca daily reported on Thursday.

Sidick Nitikusuma, Senior Manager for General Services of Pertamina?s production sharing contractors, said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the trip was arranged by Pertamina following a hearing with members of the House Commission late last month.

"Pertamina is responsible for the travel expenses because the legislators are invited to receive explanation directly from companies in the fields," he was quoted as saying by the daily. "A media report which says the legislators? visit does not have a clear agenda and only to play golf is quite tendentious," he added.

An unidentified executive of one of Pertamina?s production sharing contractors complained that the planned visit of the legislators would only waste the money because their trips had no clear agenda and had nothing to do with oil and gas activities.

Many executive oil and gas companies operate under PSCs with Pertamina in the province wonder why they have to pay the legislators? travel costs. Although the payment can be reimbursed under the cost recovery program with Pertamina, the visit would be meaningless. (*)