UNAIR NEWS – The Faculty of Law (FH) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), in collaboration with PT Pertamina Hulu Energi, conducted a National Seminar on the Future of Indonesia’s Upstream Oil and Gas Sector in the Revision of Oil and Gas Bill (RUU Migas) at Keadilan Hall on Monday (October 12, 2026). This academic forum was conducted to formulate a new direction for national energy governance that is balanced, equitable, and accountable.
The Vice Dean III of UNAIR FH, Dr Maradona SH MH LLM, emphasized the need of higher education institutions to test the regulatory drafts independently. The long journey of the Revision of Oil and Gas Bill (RUU Migas) demonstrated the importance of alignment between state control and investment certainty.
Balance of three regulatory pillars
Dr Maradona emphasized that the formulation of upstream oil and gas regulations must bring together the three main pillars: the mandate of state control, investment certainty, and management accountability.
“These three pillars are not mutually exclusive interests; rather they must be formulated in a balanced manner within a single constitutional and executable norm design,” he emphasized.
He added that higher education institutions play crucial roles in providing an objective and scientifically grounded public participation space. “Campuses are neutral and independent space where various interests can meet, engage in honest dialogue, and be tested with scientific arguments,” Dr Maradona continued.
Dr Maradona expressed hope that this academic forum could serve as a platform for meaningful participation to listen to, to consider, and to provide in-depth explanations regarding the legislation-making process.
National energy sovereignty
On the other side, the Chief Legal Counsel of PT Pertamina (Persero), Joko Yuhono, highlighted the urgent need to update national upstream oil and gas regulations. He assessed that the legal framework under Law Number 22 of 2001 needs to be thoroughly revised in order to fully restore the nation’s energy sovereignty.
“The current condition of oil and gas governance requires a new law that genuinely brings back the role of the state. The main principle must ultimately lead to improving the welfare of the people through the reform of the upstream to downstream sectors,” Yuhono emphasized.
Furthermore, he added that an independent academic forum is ultimately needed to absorb scientific input for the refinement of the Oil and Gas Bill. “We truly hope that this academic forum by UNAIR FH, which is free from political pretensions, will generate constructive input for those deliberating the Oil and Gas Bill,” he continued.
To conclude, Yuhono underlined a crucial article regarding the Special Business Entity (BUK) in the Oil and Gas Bill, which he considers still requires certainty in its policy direction.
“If we examine Article 102 of the Oil and Gas Bill, the provisions still remain a guessing game. Whether the government will establish a new agency or handover the mandate to a state-owned energy enterprise still depends on the future policy,” Yuhono said.
Author: M Yasir Dharmawan Diniy
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
