Riau warns of mass opposition if transfer CPP field delayed
Tuesday, August 29 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Riau Governor Saleh Djasit has warned the central government of a possible mass opposition from the province if the handover of the Coastal Plain Pekanbaru (CPP) field is delayed, Riau Pos reported on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the governor said that the delay in the transfer of the operation and management of the oil block could anger the people who had been waiting for so long to be able to manage their own natural resources.
"If it is delayed, it will cause a mass problem. It will not only become a matter between the central government and the provincial administration," he told the press in his response to the media report that the Ministry of Mines and Energy would delay the transfer of the CPP oil block until the end of this year from this month as initially scheduled.
The secretary general of the ministry, Djoko Pramono, told Antara last week that the transfer of the CPP management to the provincial administration of Riau would be delayed until the yearend because the local government and Pertamina were still divided over the portion of their ownership in the oil block.
Djuharman Arifin, the vice chairman of the province's legislative council, said he was really upset over the ministry's plan to delay the transfer of the CPP oil block to the province. He called on all levels of the society to give more pressure to force the central government give up the CPP oil block to the provincial administration.
"Formal and informal leaders, students and intellectuals and the common people should join hands to demand the central government to handover the CPP oil block to the province," he said. But he warned that the pressure should be given in a democratic way not in the form of anarchy.
Earlier reports said that Riau province had reached an initial agreement to cooperate with Pertamina, Caltex in operating the CPP oil block beginning in August next year.
The Riau administration has established a new company to take over the management of the oil block after the current contract expired in August next year. The new company PT Riau Makmur Petroleum will represent the local government in the operation of the oil block. (*)