In addition to encouraging regional economic growth, the Bojonegoro regency government seeks innovation of resource wealth management policy to anticipate conflict caused by extractive oil and gas activity. A number of innovations include the optimization of local content for the fulfillment of manpower as well as the drafting of permanent oil and gas funds for the development of next generation human resources.
The Regent of Bojonegoro, Suyoto, said this statement when welcoming the participants of “Improving Accountability for Resource Governance in Asia Pacific” at the Bojonegoro District Government Office on Monday (16/1).
The audiences were the Chairman of DPRD Bojonegoro Mitroatin and a number of SKPD officials related to the management of oil and gas resources. The trainees were accompanied by Dr. Poppy S. Winanti, MPP, M.Sc (Vice Dean for Cooperation, Alumni and Research Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UGM) and Dr Nanang Indra Kurniawan, M.PA (Secretary of Prodi S2 and S3 Department of Politics and Government, FISIPOL UGM ). This training is a collaboration between Research Center for Politics and Government (PolGov) Department of Politics and Government (DPP), FISIPOL, UGM with Natural Resources Governance Institute (NRGI).
According to the team leader, Dr Nanang Indra Kurniawan, this training aims to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders for accountability of extractive industry governance and build multi-stakeholder networks to improve the quality of extractive industry governance in Asia Pacific. Nanang added, “The local government is one of the key instruments for effective management of state revenues from the oil and gas sector at the sub-national level for the greatest prosperity of the citizens We hope that visiting Bojonegoro can be a valuable experience for participants to improve accountability and optimization policy innovation at the sub-national level in their respective countries can also become a forum for knowledge exchange with multistakeholder oil and gas management in Bojonegoro.”
The training which has entered the fourth year was attended by 26 participants from 10 countries, including Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines, India, Timor Leste, Mexico, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Australia.
During the visit, in addition to meeting the bupati, participants also visited the EMCL office (Exxonmobil Oil Cepu Limited), inaugurated with Commission A of the Bojonegoro Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) Bojonegoro District and covered with the community in the oil and gas operations area in Gayam Village, Gayam District. The series of events was concluded with a Panel Discussion on Tuesday (17/1) involving representatives of local governments, communities and NGO activists. (ISW)