TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
House to revise KPK law
Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H
Change Size
Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly (center) and tax directorate general Sigit Proadi Pramudito take part in a meeting with the House of Representatives' Legislation Body (Baleg) in the House' complex on Friday. The legislature and the government have agreed to include an amendment to the Corruption Eradication Commission Law and the tax amnesty bill in the 2015 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). (Antara/Puspa Perwitasari) (center) and tax directorate general Sigit Proadi Pramudito take part in a meeting with the House of Representatives' Legislation Body (Baleg) in the House' complex on Friday. The legislature and the government have agreed to include an amendment to the Corruption Eradication Commission Law and the tax amnesty bill in the 2015 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). (Antara/Puspa Perwitasari)
J
span class="inline inline-center">Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly (center) and tax directorate general Sigit Proadi Pramudito take part in a meeting with the House of Representatives' Legislation Body (Baleg) in the House' complex on Friday. The legislature and the government have agreed to include an amendment to the Corruption Eradication Commission Law and the tax amnesty bill in the 2015 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). (Antara/Puspa Perwitasari)
The House of Representatives and the government agreed on Friday to include the revision of the 2002 Law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the tax amnesty bill as priority bills to be deliberated this year.
The legislature and the government swapped initiatives on both bills in a meeting at the House Legislation Body (Baleg) on Friday. Legal and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly said the revision of the KPK Law was initiated by the House while the tax amnesty bill was the government's initiative.
The two bills were included in the 2015 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), which allows lawmakers to prioritize the deliberation of the bills.
Baleg deputy head Firman Subagyo said on Friday after the meeting that the House would hold a plenary meeting on Dec. 1.
The bills in the Prolegnas will be discussed in the House's steering committee and the plenary to start the discussion. The House will also need a president's letter appointing the government's representatives in the deliberation.
Almuzzamil Yusuf, a lawmaker from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said the House would invite representatives of the KPK to the deliberation of the law revision.
"This is to avoid prejudice toward the House. We want to hear what the KPK wants for itself," he said.
The Baleg meeting took only 30 minutes and only 13 out of 77 Baleg members attended but these represented nine factions in the House.
The plan to revise the KPK Law has caused public anger with accusations that the House is attempting to reduce the KPK's power in the fight against corruption. One of the proposed revisions is to limit the KPK's term to only 12 years after the revision is endorsed. The initial revision only allowed the anti-graft commission to handle cases that caused more than Rp 50 billion (US$3.65 million) in state losses.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had previously agreed to withdraw the revision from the House.
Minister Yasonna claimed that the swap agreement on the tax amnesty bill initiated by the government came about because the government insisted that the tax amnesty was a key measure amid Indonesia's slowing economic growth.
"The tax amnesty is important as a development funding alternative," he said after the meeting.
He said Indonesia's current tax ratio was around 11 to 13 percent, lower than other developing countries whose tax ratios could amount to 18 percent. (rin)
