Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Energy and Mineral Resource Ministry (ESDM) must soon firmly decide its attitude regarding the feud between the central and the regional governments over the divestment of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT)`s stake, a legislator said.

"The ESDM ministry must take into account the inputs of House Commission VII on mining affairs and Commission XI on national development planning and financial affairs so that the divestment of NNT`s share would be offered to the regional government," Dito Ganundito of Commission VII, said here on Monday.

He said that his commission hoped that the central government would show its spirit of opening chance for the regional government to enjoy the mining resources of its region.

Therefore, he said, the mining commission of the House urged the ESDM minister to obey the request that the divestment stake of NNT be given to the regional government.

"We call on the central government to adopt a wise attitude and accept the demand of the regional government to purchase NNT divestment stake," he said.

PT NNT is now in the last phase of divestment process with seven percent of its stake were to be sold to the government. The central government has expressed its desire to acquire the stake.

But the regional government is also fighting for the purchase of the stake.

(SYS/A014/H-YH)

Editor: Suryanto
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