TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Labor Movement together with People (GEBRAK) is staging a mass protest and taking it to the streets today on Thursday, August 10, 2023, to demand the annulment of the Job Creation Act. The protest will be joined by university students.

During a press conference in the Walhi Secretariat in South Jakarta, on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, GEBRAK said that the action was a culmination of anger against the structural impacts of the Job Creation Act.

"We, the university students and other various elements of students organization has met and consolidated the technical aspects of the protest on August 10. This (protest) is a culmination of our anger caused by the structural impact of the Job Creation Act," said Afif Naufal, a student representative from Paramadina University on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.

According to Afif, after the implementation of the Job Creation Act, universities in Indonesia increased their tuition fees. He believed this is part of the structural impact of the Job Creation Act, specifically Article 65.

"The tuition fees increased in almost all universities in Indonesia, the most prominent one being the tuition fees in Universitas Indonesia. The increase is significant, even at the level of private universities, which increase their tuition by 7% each year," said Afif.

Article 65 of the Job Creation Act stipulated that the education sector permit implementation could be conducted through business permits. The provision encourages universities to become corporate universities, independent and competitive entities free to raise funds through public or private cooperations. It explains why the tuition rises each year.

Ihwan Kamil, a student representative from Progressive Students School said that Article 65 of the Act facilitates the establishment of universities through business permits.

"Meaning, universities are now business-oriented instead of an educational institution responsible for creating intelligence," said Ihsan.

I GUSTI AYU PUTU PUSPASARI

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