DPR to Discuss Job Creation Perppu After Recess Ends on January 10

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - House of Representatives (DPR) Legislation Body (Baleg) deputy chairperson Achmad Baidowi on Monday confirmed that members of the House will discuss the regulation in lieu of law on Job Creation (Perppu Cipta Kerja) once recess ends on January 10th. The Perppu was issued by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on December 30th, 2022, as an answer to global economic and geopolitical uncertainty. 

“The Regulation in lieu of law has not been discussed by the DPR as it had just been issued by the government. The Job Creation Perppu will be discussed in the upcoming parliamentary session,” said Baidowi on January 2. 

He then cited Law No.13/2022 on the changes of Law No.12/2011 which oversees the formulation of a law that specifically mentions a Perppu issuance must be discussed at the DPR. Article 52 (3) of the same law states that House legislators can only give consent or disapproval of government regulation in lieu of a law. 

DPR Cannot Change a Perppu’s Substance 

Baidowi asserted that members of the House can only accept or disapprove of a Perppu and are not authorized to change its substance. However, he elaborated that the copy of the Job Creation Perppu has not been officially sent by the government to DPR. 

"If the contents are the same, the most important thing is based on the government's statement that improvements are only related to technical matters such as periods, commas, and writing errors that are corrected," he said.

In terms of the urgency behind the issuance of the government regulation, the House member said it is based on the government’s perspective and subjectivity. 

Jokowi previously responded to various criticisms of the issuance of the Perppu on Job Creation. He emphasized that this government regulation in lieu of law was issued due to the risks of global uncertainty.

"[The Perppu issuance] to provide legal certainty, the legal vacuum that is in the perception of internal and external investors. That is actually the most important thing," Jokowi said.

For the umpteenth time, the President mentioned that 14 countries have become patients of the IMF, and 28 more countries lining up to become IMF patients. "In fact, the world is not doing well," Jokowi asserted.

This fear of global financial uncertainty is what later became Jokowi's reason for issuing the Job Creation Perppu. "Because our economy in 2023 is highly dependent on investment and exports," he said.

ANTARA | IMA DINI SHAFIRA

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