Several civil society organizations affiliated with Publish What You Pay Indonesia have highlighted the accelerated deliberations of the Oil and Gas Bill (RUU Migas) by the Indonesian House of Representatives. The coalition is urging that the legislative process not be rushed and that transparency and accountability remain priorities.
The issue emerged after a meeting between the DPR Legislative Body and Commission XII to discuss plans to form a working committee (Panja) to replace the old oil and gas law.
The Coalition believes that, amid global geopolitical uncertainty and the challenges of climate change, the Oil and Gas Bill needs to be designed as a strategic instrument to strengthen national energy security, rather than merely an administrative regulation.
From a procedural perspective, the Indonesian Parliamentary Center criticized the status of the bill, which was said to not be included in the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), but was submitted through an open cumulative mechanism.
IPC researcher Arif Adiputro stated that every draft law should go through clear planning stages. He believes that expediting deliberations without transparent urgency could set a precedent in the legislative process.
Meanwhile, Aryanto Nugroho, National Coordinator of PWYP Indonesia, emphasized the importance of the energy sovereignty vision in the Oil and Gas Bill. He highlighted Indonesia’s status as a net oil importer since 2008, with consumption of around 1.5 million barrels per day.
According to him, the Oil and Gas Bill must address dependence on energy imports while aligning with the energy transition agenda.
“The Oil and Gas Bill should not only focus on increasing investment in the upstream sector, but must also address efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels,” he said.
The coalition also pushed for synchronization of the Oil and Gas Bill with climate change policies and renewable energy development. This was deemed crucial to ensure that the regulation did not conflict with national emission-reduction commitments.
From an environmental perspective, the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law assesses that the draft Oil and Gas Bill still prioritizes an extractive approach that could prolong dependence on fossil fuels.
ICEL researcher Sylvi said the gas sector also has a risk of methane emissions that need to be taken into account in formulating energy policies.
Furthermore, governance aspects are also under scrutiny. The Coalition believes the Oil and Gas Bill needs to strengthen transparency, including in the process of awarding cooperation contracts and public information disclosure, to minimize the potential for corruption.
PWYP Indonesia also reminded that the formation of new institutions in the oil and gas sector should not lead to overlapping authority or the risk of abuse.
Regarding the management of the Oil and Gas Fund, the coalition is pushing for the fund to focus not only on fossil fuel exploration but also on the development of renewable energy as part of the energy transition.
The Coalition hopes that discussions on the Oil and Gas Bill will be conducted in an open and participatory manner and will be able to address the challenges of energy security and climate change in a sustainable manner.
Source: Media Indonesia