Regents protest oil revenue delay

JAKARTA: A group of regents from oil-producing regencies across the country filed a complaint with the House of Representatives' finance commission about the central government's failure to disburse their shares of oil and gas revenues.

"These funds are crucial for the regencies so that they can pay the salaries of teachers, medical professionals and village heads," said Musi Banyuasin Regent Alex Nurdin, who led the delegation of 78 regents.

He said that the central government had not disbursed oil revenues for three consecutive semesters, and had only promised that it would make the payments at the end of this year.

Legislator Alex Muin, who chaired the meeting, asked the regents to submit a more detailed report on the problem for discussion with the minister of finance in the near future. -- Antara