SBY strengthens much-criticized air-crash investigation agency

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has issued a regulation that places the National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT) structurally under the President, which many believe will make the committee a more independent body.

Presidential Regulation No. 2/2011 was signed by Yudhoyono on Jan. 5, according to a statement from the State Secretariat made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.

“The structural change is the most substantial part of the new regulation. The KNKT is no longer under the auspices of the Transportation Ministry but directly responsible to the President,” the statement said.

Since its establishment in 1999, the KNKT has been under the coordination of the Transportation Minister. The committee’s budget was part of the ministry’s budget and the allocation was also determined by the ministry, which attracted criticism and questions as to the committee’s impartiality.

KNKT investigations were deemed weak and biased particularly when it came to poor monitoring and supervision by the government. Its association with the Transportation Ministry was also considered a significant factor in making the KNKT very slow in doing its job.

Aviation observers welcomed the new regulation, believing it could help reduce the number of aircraft accidents, which have remained rampant until today.

The establishment of an independent KNKT is mandated by the 2009 Aviation Law and the government had originally pledged to implement the mandate by the end of 2010.

The 2012 regulation also mandates the Transportation Ministry to form a team tasked with selecting candidates to join the KNKT.

The team will be tasked to select the candidates within three months and hand over the names of the candidates to the President who will pick the six new KNKT members.