Indonesia to create monitoring task force on deregulation packages

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Jakarta4Indonesian President Joko Widodo is planning to form a task force to ensure that the dozen economic stimulus packages issued by his administration are carried out properly and without delay.

“I want the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs to form a task force to ensure implementation, particularly in the regions, till these (policy packages) are properly operational,” the President said recently, as quoted in a news report by Antara News.

Widodo made it clear he does not want any hurdles to the imposition of the policy packages that are designed to stimulate the economy and facilitate ease of doing business in the country.

“I will check and recheck the implementation of the packages to ensure that the packages work as expected,” he said.

He added that the regulations incorporated in the economic packages reaches 203, and of this number, 193 presidential, ministerial, and other forms of regulations have been discussed, leaving only 10 still for final deliberation.

The chief executive expressed the hope that the policy packages will generate an increase in investments, a rise in the number of small and medium enterprises, an industrial awakening, and the expansion of export volumes.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, meanwhile, told local media Widodo himself will lead the monitoring team “to assure it will be effective down to regions.”

Takedown of 3,000 bylaws ordered

In related news, Widodo has ordered the scrapping of all bylaws impeding the ease of doing business and growth of investments in Indonesia before July 2016.

“I have ordered the home affairs minister to scrap some 3,000 bylaws by July at the latest without conducting any study,” he said.

Last year, the president had called for a study to remove these bylaws, but only seven have been scrapped since then.

“If the bylaws appear to add to complications, they must be scrapped immediately. When it comes to laws, these must be revised soon without having to issue new laws,” he stressed.

Pramono explained that if regulations have been issued at a higher level, then those at the lower level must be revoked. “Right now, there are still several ministerial regulations or bylaws that remain, despite the fact that regulations have been issued at the higher level,” he said.

Indonesia’s competitiveness index has not made progress because the country does not have the courage to overhaul its laws and regulations, Widodo added.

The country has nearly 42,000 regulations in the form of presidential regulations, government regulations, ministerial regulations, and bylaws, he noted.

The head of state made it clear that to catch up with other countries, the nation must hasten the pace of infrastructure development, conduct massive deregulation, and strengthen human resources development.

Photo: myself