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Expedited omnibus bill deliberations raise transparency concerns
On several occasions, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has demanded that the House’s deliberations of the job creation bill be finished within 100 working days after the lawmakers received the bill from the government.
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Thousands of labors from the Indonesian Worker Union Confederation (KSPI) march on the street in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building complex in Central Jakarta to protest the omnibus bill on job creation on Monday, Jan 20, 2020. (JP/Moch. Fiqih Prawira)
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he House of Representatives has listed four omnibus bills on this year’s priority legislation list, raising concerns about the transparency and quality of the deliberations as the government seeks to fast-track discussions.
Lawmakers listed on Wednesday the four bills on the 2020 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) and agreed to deliberate them this year. Of the four, the bills on job creation, taxation and the capital region were initiated by the government, while the bill on the pharmacy sector was proposed by the House.
“If we can complete the deliberations quickly, then why not? […] We will finish them as soon as possible,” House speaker Puan Maharani said, adding that the expected deadline set by the government would be a challenge for the House to help improve the country’s economy and investment climate.
On several occasions, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has demanded that the House’s deliberations of the job creation bill be finished within 100 working days after the lawmakers received the bill from the government.
If passed into law, each omnibus bill will amend thousands of provisions in dozens of prevailing laws, as part of the government’s deregulation efforts to attract more investment to fuel the country’s sluggish economic growth.
Read also: Reforms to boost economy taking shape
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said of the three bills initiated by the government, the bill on the capital region was considered a "super priority", as it would form the legal basis for relocation of the capital from Jakarta to North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara regencies in East Kalimantan.
