Jakarta Post: Government Tightens Oil and Gas Trade Regulation

The Trade Ministry has issued a new regulation to enforce tighter control of oil and gas imports and exports as part of the government’s program to eliminate so-called mafia practices in the country’s oil and gas business.

Under the new regulation, companies involved in oil and gas export and import activities should be registered with the Trade Ministry and will be subject to verification by an independent surveyor to be able to obtain export and import permits.

At present, export and import permits are issued upon only the recommendation of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel said in Jakarta on Friday that the regulation, formally issued on Monday to replace Ministerial Regulation No. 42/2009, was part of the government’s program to eliminate irregularities in the oil and gas sector. MORE