Battle rages over state enterprises legislation

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 09/04/2007 2:12 PM

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government and the House of Representatives have been at loggerheads over the issue of public access to state enterprises, with legislators saying further delays to the bill will unnecessarily push back the important state secrecy and intelligence bills.

Secretary of the State Minister of State Enterprises Said Didu said during a House discussion on freedom of information that state enterprises were not public institutions.

""State enterprises have to remain closed to public access because they have played their additional role in running the state,"" he said.

""They have to keep their business strategy closed to private companies to be able to gain profits.""

Most factions of the working committee for the bill were of the same opinion -- state enterprises had to be transparent.

""To us, it is irrational and unacceptable that state enterprises are classified into institutions kept closed to public access,"" working committee member Andreas Pareira said.

""All factions want only matters such as management strategies and certain operations to be included into the chapter of exceptions in the bill.""

The government has repeatedly said state enterprises and the defense ministry should remain closed to public access.

Many sides have criticized the government's stance, because state enterprises have been for years treated as cash cows for government officials and political parties.

Andreas said the working committee would send a letter to the President asking him to make a decision on this issue.

He said the Minister of Information and Telecommunications Muh. Nuh and the commission were of the same opinion.

State enterprises were public institutions which, like publicly-listed Bank Mandiri and many other state-owned companies, have to be transparent to the public.

He said his commission had doubts the bill, which has been deliberated for six years, could be approved by the end of this year.

Commission member Effendi Choirie said, ""Like on many other issues, my faction has sought political support to have the bill approved this year so that the House could deliberate the other two security and intelligence bills next year"".

He said those bills have ""long expected to help uphold the democracy, the government's accountability and human rights"".

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