Govt to propose new BP Migas chief

Ika Krismantari , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 03/13/2008 1:32 AM | Business

The government has three candidates to replace the chairman of upstream oil and gas regulator BP Migas, Kardaya Warnika, who has alienated lawmakers.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro confirmed Wednesday that Kardaya would be replaced before his tenure ended in 2010.

He said the three candidates were the director for upstream activities at the ministry, R Priyono, an assistant to the minister for human resources and technology, Evita H. Legowo, and the director of a research and development center for oil and gas technology, Hadi Purnomo.

"The names will be proposed to the House next week during a plenary session," Purnomo said.

Lawmaker Tjatur Sapto Edy said the House was ready to test the candidates next month and hoped to install the new chairman by the end of April.

Purnomo refused to say the replacement was in response to complaints from lawmakers, saying it was just time to "refresh" the agency.

Lawmakers have been demanding for months the government replace Kardaya Warnika, saying BP Migas had failed to increase oil output for the past five years.

The country's oil production has fallen for the past five years, with total production last year below 1 million barrels per day.

Kardaya was summoned on several occasions by the House but failed to appear each time, sending the vice chairman of BP Migas, Abdul Muin, in his place.

Kardaya has been at the head of BPMigas since 2005.