Senator Haji Uma Highlights Oil and Gas Bill: Don't Let Authority Be Eroded, Turning the Aceh Oil and Gas Management Agency Into a Paper Tiger, Reduced to a Mere Spectator

31 August 2026 oleh admin

Jakarta, dpd.go.id – Member of the DPD RI from Aceh, H. Sudirman, S.Sos., M.Sos., popularly known as Haji Uma, highlighted the discussion on the Oil and Gas Bill (RUU Migas), particularly concerning changes to the national upstream oil and gas governance and the plan to form a Special Business Entity (BUK) for Oil and Gas. (31/08/2026)

According to Haji Uma, these changes require serious attention from Aceh. This is because Aceh possesses special autonomy in managing oil and gas based on Law Number 11 of 2006 concerning the Government of Aceh (UUPA), specifically Article 160, which is further detailed through Government Regulation (PP) Number 23 of 2015 and serves as the foundation for the existence of the Aceh Oil and Gas Management Agency (BPMA).

“What we need to closely examine is the position of the BPMA once SKK Migas is no longer the national upstream oil and gas management institution. Will BUK Migas strengthen coordination with BPMA, or could it unwittingly shift the authority that Aceh has held so far? This must be clarified from the outset,” Haji Uma stated.

He assessed that if Law Number 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Gas is repealed and replaced by the new Oil and Gas Law, the provisions regarding Aceh’s special authority must not create a legal vacuum or legal uncertainty.

According to him, Aceh’s authority must remain grounded in the UUPA. Therefore, the Oil and Gas Bill needs to be explicitly harmonized with the UUPA, including the continuation of PP Number 23 of 2015 as well as the position, function, and authority of the BPMA.

“The UUPA is the foundation of Aceh’s special autonomy, including the management of oil and gas natural resources. We must ensure that updating the national Oil and Gas Law does not give rise to conflicting norms or a dualism of authority. The boundaries between the authority of BUK Migas and that which remains with BPMA must be crystal clear,” he said.

According to Haji Uma, this clarity is crucial, particularly in determining and managing working areas, granting and executing Cooperation Contracts (KKS), involving and securing the approval of the Aceh Government, and carrying out control and supervisory functions over upstream oil and gas business activities by the BPMA.

Beyond institutional authority, Haji Uma also requested certainty regarding ongoing oil and gas contracts, the rights and obligations of the parties involved, as well as investments that have entered or will enter Aceh.

“This is not merely about BPMA as an institution. There are active contracts, rights and obligations of the parties, and business activities and investments. All of these require legal certainty. We must avoid a situation where legislative changes create gray areas around matters that have been running smoothly,” he said.

Therefore, Haji Uma considers that the Oil and Gas Bill must contain transitional and harmonization provisions that guarantee the continuity of Aceh’s special authority based on the UUPA, the execution of PP Number 23 of 2015, and the institutional standing of BPMA.

In his view, the formulation of the new Oil and Gas Law must not be interpreted as abolishing, reducing, or overriding the authority of Aceh that has been specifically granted through the UUPA.

“Updating the national oil and gas governance is necessary and has been delayed for far too long since the Constitutional Court dissolved BP Migas fourteen years ago. However, we must ensure that the new Oil and Gas Bill does not undermine the special authority of Aceh granted through the UUPA,” Haji Uma emphasized.

He added that legal certainty is also vital for maintaining a healthy investment climate in Aceh's upstream oil and gas sector. Business actors require clarity regarding regulations, authorized institutions, contract continuity, and applicable mechanisms.

“We want investment to grow, exploration to progress, and Aceh’s oil and gas potential to benefit Aceh while supporting national energy interests. To achieve this, regulatory certainty and the division of authority must be clear from the beginning,” he said.

Revision of UUPA and the Oil and Gas Bill Must Be Guarded Simultaneously

Haji Uma also reminded that this matter needs attention amidst the ongoing revision process of Law Number 11 of 2006 concerning the Government of Aceh.

According to him, the revision of the UUPA and the deliberation of the Oil and Gas Bill should not proceed in isolation. Both must be scrutinized and synchronized as both pertain to the future governance of Aceh’s oil and gas resources.

“While the UUPA revision is underway, we must raise and discuss this issue seriously. In the UUPA revision, we reinforce the foundation and authority of BPMA, while in the Oil and Gas Bill, we ensure that the setup of BUK Migas does not clash with that authority,” Haji Uma stated.

On that basis, he urged the Aceh Government, DPRA, BPMA, as well as members of the DPR RI and DPD RI from Aceh to pay close attention to the progress of the Oil and Gas Bill deliberations.

According to Haji Uma, the Aceh Government along with the BPMA need to concretely map out Aceh’s authority based on the UUPA and PP Number 23 of 2015, then juxtapose it with the design of BUK Migas’s authority in the Oil and Gas Bill. This way, areas requiring clarification or harmonization can be identified early on.

“Do not wait until the bill is passed. While it is still in process, the Aceh Government, DPRA, BPMA, DPR RI, and those of us in the DPD RI from Aceh need to sit down together to look into this issue. If there are provisions that need aligning, now is the time to fight for them,” he said.

“We hope that going forward there will be specific discussions regarding the Oil and Gas Bill together with the Aceh Government, DPRA, and BPMA, particularly to clarify and guarantee the position and authority of BPMA within national oil and gas governance. This is essential so that Aceh’s special autonomy mandated in the UUPA retains certainty under the new Oil and Gas Law,” Haji Uma continued.

He added that the DPD RI holds the constitutional authority to participate in discussing and providing recommendations on bills relating to regional autonomy, central-regional relations, and natural resource management as regulated under Article 22D of the 1945 Constitution.

“This is not just an issue regarding BPMA as an institution. This concerns Aceh's authority to manage natural resources granted through the UUPA. Therefore, the passage of the new Oil and Gas Law must not bring uncertainty, diminish, or impair the authority Aceh already possesses,” he said.

Haji Uma hopes that the future establishment of BUK Migas will strengthen national oil and gas governance while building a clearer institutional relationship with the BPMA.

“We want BUK Migas to be strong nationally while BPMA also remains strong in carrying out the UUPA mandate. There is no need to pit the two against each other. What we must safeguard is ensuring this Oil and Gas Bill continues to respect Aceh’s special status and does not shift BPMA’s authority,” Haji Uma concluded.