VP Kalla Calls on Regional Govts to Announce Scrapped Bylaws

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice President Jusuf Kalla called on regional governments to announce details of scrapped bylaws to attract public attention in those regions.

The list of over 3,000 bylaws concerning investment that were revoked should be made public in respective regions, he said Friday.

There is no need to announce the problematic regional regulations that were scrapped, nationally, he said.

"Those regional regulations were indeed weird, for instance the one that obliged retribution fee for cargo shipment from one district to another, and another one that said to obtain a permit it must undergo a certain process," he said.

The regional laws were revoked because they were not in line with higher laws, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said.

The bylaws were issued by regional governments with endorsement from the local legislative councils (DPRD), he said.

Next time, regional governments must consult with the Home Affairs Ministry first before making the implementation of a bylaw effective, the minister said.

"However, many regions in the name of regional autonomy do not consult with the home affairs minister in issuing local regulations," he said.

In scrapping the more than 3,000 bylaws, the ministry had made studies and some exceptions for certain regional autonomous regions.

Meanwhile, member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) AM Iqbal Parewangi has viewed the scrapping of these bylaws as a betrayal against regional autonomy and the spirit of reform.

The massive revocations of bylaws could be seen as an attempt to halt decentralization and bring back centralization. 

The governments decision to revoke 3,143 bylaws has triggered an uproar, the senator from South Sulawesi said. 

In Serang, Banten, for instance, over 10,000 people signed a petition to reject the revocation of a local regulation on the opening hours of restaurants and food stalls during Ramadan fasting month.

Many bylaws in line with Islamic laws have become strategic targets in this case, he said citing some public sentiment.

A revocation of a regional regulation should be done by filing a judicial or a political review and be evaluated by the DPRD.

He would propose that the DPD invite concerned ministries to explain about the revocation of bylaws.

ANTARA