Minister Teten Affirms The Cooperative Bill Will Be Completed In January 2024

Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki. (Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki emphasized that the revision of the Cooperative Bill (RUU) will be completed in early 2024.

"Yes, it must be (population). Yes, (January 2024)," said Minister Teten in the 2023 Cooperative and SME Empowerment Program (reflection) and Outlook in 2024 with the theme "Accelerated Cooperative Transformation, MSMEs, and Inclusive and Sustainable Entrepreneurs at the Smesco Building, Jakarta, Thursday, December 21.

Minister Teten assessed that if the Cooperative Bill was not completed in January 2024, it was feared that it could have a negative impact on all cooperatives in Indonesia.

Because, said Teten, the cooperative bill which is now being pushed by his party to the DPR will improve the institutions and ecosystem of cooperatives in Indonesia. Given that the existing cooperative law has never been corrected before.

"Later, if it's not finished, right, it's a danger. It's a time bomb for cooperatives," he added.

Previously reported, the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (Menkop UKM) Teten Masduki admitted that he had concerns that the Draft Law (RUU) of Cooperatives would not be completed this year, because the DPR RI had not ratified the regulation.

"This is indeed the most risky because it has entered the political year, it really needs commitment from all parties, especially from the leadership of the DPR because if it is not finished this year, it will be a bit risky, this is a very urgent emergency," Minister Teten told reporters in Bandung, West Java, Wednesday, October 11.

Teten said the Presidential Letter (Surpres) regarding the appointment of a government representative to discuss the bill had been signed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on September 19, 2023 and had been received by the DPR.

In the letter, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs as well as the Ministry of Law and Human Rights will represent the government in discussing the bill.

"Therefore, we hope that the leadership of the DPR prioritizes the discussion of the terrace bill in the future trial period (after the recess)," he said.