Mining, energy companies get awards

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Twenty-one companies operating in the energy and mineral industry received awards for their real contribution to community development (CD) in areas surrounding their operational sites. The awards were presented on Monday by President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the State Palace.

Such awards, the Padma Community Development Awards, were the first to be presented to companies in the industry, as well as local administrations and local community figures.

"Besides representing government's acknowledgement of the role of stakeholders in the industry, the awards are also intended to motivate recipients to improve the implementation of CD programs," said Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro at the announcement of the award recipients.

For this year, 48 national and foreign companies, 16 local administrations and five community figures participated in the selection of award recipients. After passing through a selection and evaluation process, an appointed assessment team determined four community figures, five administrations and 21 companies as winners.

Winners included oil and gas companies BP Indonesia, PT Exspan Nusantara, PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia and PT Arun NGL Co.; mining companies PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara, PT International Nickel Indonesia and PT Kaltim Prima Coal; and energy and electricity companies Unocal Geothermal of Indonesia Limited and Amoseas Indonesia Inc.

On the same occasion, the ministry also introduced a blueprint for guidelines on CD programs for companies operating within the energy and mineral industry.

"So far, companies, in implementing CD programs, simply make contributions to charities and do not involve stakeholders in their respective areas," said the minister.

He said that the blueprint offered a new model for carrying out CD programs, involving local communities and administrations.