Pertamina grants concession to NU

Pertamina President Director Ari Sumarsono and NU Lawmaking Body Chairman Sahal Mahfudz signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in July, on the sidelines of the Nahdlatul Ulamas national meeting in Surabaya, East Java. Under the MOU, the 40 million-strong NU, a Muslim scholarship organization, will be granted a concession to open gasoline stations and help market other products of Indonesias state-owned oil and gas company. Pertamina. Mahfudz said the organization will appoint NU Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) to establish and run the gasoline stations. (July 31, 2006)