TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) planned to file a citizen lawsuit to the Central Jakarta District Court against President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, the Ministry of Communication and Information, the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and the House of Representatives (DPR).

“It’s planned [to be filed] next week. The lawsuit documents are ready, but we haven't set a date yet,” said the institute’s public attorney Jeanny Sari Sirait to Tempo today, October 26.

LBH considered several factors for the lawsuit, including the lack of government response to various online loan cases by far, the absence of regulations on online loans in terms of interest, administrative costs, registration, and personal data protection.

According to Jeanny, LBH has been advocating for victims of illegal online lending for three years and conducting research up to policy briefs. LBH also opens a complaint service post for the public.

LBH urges the government to issue strict regulations related to the online loan business. “But every time it is asked, the authorities always answer that it is still in the regulatory process,” she added.

From 2018 to early 2021, LBH Jakarta has received 5000 complaints related to loan issues that allegedly related to the law and human rights violations.

A spokesperson for the Financial Services Authority (OJK) Sekar Putih Djarot has not yet responded to Tempo’s call about the citizen lawsuit. President Jokowi’s special staffer for legal affairs, Dini Shanti Purwono, said her side is still waiting for the lawsuit. “Since this is just a plan, we are waiting for a copy of the lawsuit document to give a response,” she said.

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