TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in a press conference at the Merdeka Palace urged for the passing of the Asset Forfeiture Bill. This was a direct response to Indonesia scoring poorly in the Transparency International Indonesia (TII) corruption perception index (IPK) from 38 in 2021 to 34 in the following year.

“This must be passed into Law immediately,” said the President on February 7, who also urged for the Restrictions on Currency Transactions Bill to start being discussed.

This was not a new order by the president. He had previously voiced the same comment during the celebration of World Anticorruption Day 2021 held by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on December 9, 2021.

"The government continues to push for the immediate enactment of the Criminal Act of Asset Forfeiture Law," said Jokowi. He said that recovering assets and increasing non-tax state revenues must also be prioritized, which he argued is crucial to save and restore state finances, as well as acting as an early mitigation for corruption.

Back in 2021, the President expected the Bill to be passed in 2022 but it remains stagnated as we enter 2023.

In early 2022, the speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) legal commission, Bambang Wuryanto, opened up about the discussion of the bill on restrictions on currency transactions.

In a House hearing with the PPATK on April 5, 2022, Bambang openly said that this bill had not yet been decided on for further discussion as it concerns the livelihoods of the members of the council towards their constituents. Mainly to raise the votes of support from the people in the election.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO

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