Member Of Commission VI DPR Calls The Merger Of The Ministry Of SOEs A Depolitization Form

Member of Commission VI of the House of Representatives Asep Wahyawijaya. (Photo: ANTARA)

Member of Commission VI of the House of Representatives Asep Wahyawijaya emphasized that the plan to melt the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) into a new body is an important step towards depolitization.

For your information, depoliticization in the context of SOEs means separating state companies from the ministry's political bureaucracy, so that their focus is purely on business goals.

"So when there is a shift in the Ministry, SOEs become an agency, that's called depolitization. Clear that. The second is also then, in order to reduce, reduce the potential for political intervention. So the depoliticization occurs there," he said in a hearing (RDP) of Commission VI of the DPR with experts and academics, Wednesday, September 24.

According to Asep, this institutional transformation will reduce the potential for political intervention and provide space for SOEs to focus more on their business functions.

"So let them escape with their own duties, open as much business as possible, get as much profit as possible, absorb as much labor as possible, to make strategic benefits for the nation. The context is there actually," he said.

Asep explained that so far the Ministry of SOEs has four main functions, namely controlling shareholders, regulators, supervisors, and managers of Perum or state-owned companies that receive State Capital Participation (PMN) from the State Budget.

However, continued Asep, with the plan to form a BUMN Agency and the Danantara Investment Management Agency (BPI), there needs to be an in-depth study regarding the authority of the two.

"We plan to merge the Ministry of SOEs into a body. So that means there are these two bodies. There is a BUMN Agency, there is BPI Danantara. Well, this is talking about this authority. What are the implications? When the supervisory function, for example, is shifted to this new agency, which was originally the Ministry of SOEs, "he said.

"Is it also possible for this agency to make regulations for the body beside it? Because then the legislative task was in the minister's authority," he continued.

According to Asep, changes in institutional structures cannot be separated from legal aspects, especially regarding the division of regulatory and supervisory functions. He reminded that if SOEs are removed from the ministry and are in the form of a body, there must be clarity on their functions, duties, and juridical implications.

"This is because of questions like this, I think, so that it doesn't become controversial anymore, we need a very deep discourse, related to the matter of how other rules are," he said.

Previously, Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi said there was an opportunity for the Ministry of SOEs to drop its status to a body, along with the operational functions of state-owned companies that were mostly handled by BPI Danantara.

"There is a possibility that the ministry may want us to lower its status to an agency. There is a possibility like that," said Prasetyo at the DPR Building, Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday, September 23.

Prasetyo menambahkan, kepastian soal itu akan ditentukan lewat pembahasan RUU Perubahan Keempat atas UU Nomor 19 Tahun 2003 tentang BUMN bersama Komisi VI DPR RI.

Saat ditanya lebih lanjut terkait istilah badan tersebut, Prasetyo menyarankan untuk menunggu. Sebab, dia bilang akan dibahas lebih lanjut nantinya.

“Nanti tunggu. Tunggu kita pembahasannya,” ucapnya.

Prasetyo added that the certainty of the matter would be determined through the discussion of the Fourth Amendment Bill on Law Number 19 of 2003 concerning BUMN with Commission VI of the DPR RI.

When asked further about the term agency, Prasetyo suggested waiting. Because, he said it would be discussed further later.

"Wait a minute. Wait for us to discuss it," he said.