Monday, September 8, 2008

Lawmakers to propose amendment of oil and gas law

Lawmakers to propose amendment of oil and gas law

A number of members of the House of Representatives (DPR) will propose an amendment of Law No. 22/ 2001 on Natural Oil and Gas, a legislator said here on Sunday.

Anna Muawanah, coordinator of a team of lawmakers who will make the proposal, said the aim of the amendment was to maximally utilize natural oil and gas for the benefit and welfare of the people.

"We want to synchronize and reposition natural oil and gas based on the message of the 1945 Constitution," she said.

Besides Anna who comes from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, supporters of the proposal also come from various factions in the House, such as Drajad Wibowo of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Irmandi Lubis and Hasto Kristiyanto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Hajriyanto Tohari of the Golkar Party and Andi Rahmad of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Anna said that Law No. 22/ 2001 was not in line with the spirit of the 1945 Constitution. After all, the Constitutional Court (MK) had carried out a judicial review on four articles of the law.

She said that the amendment of the law had been included in the national legislation program (Prolegnas) of the DPR whose deliberation was given a priority.

"If there is no constraint, the team will present the proposal next week," she said.

She hoped that the amendment of the law would serve as a comprehensive correction to the government`s national oil and gas policy while creating the country`s sovereignty over its energy resources.

"All proposals to correct national energy management made by the DPR`s fuel oil price inquiry committee could strengthen the proposal initiative of lawmakers on the amendment of the law on oil and gas," she said.

The DPR has recently set up an inquiry committee to study the government`s policy in raising fuel oil prices in last May.

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