Plenary Session Of The House Of Representatives Approves The Health Bill To Become A Law

Deputy Chairman of Commission IX of the House of Representatives Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena submitted a report on the discussion of the Health Bill to the Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, in a plenary meeting/screenshot

JAKARTA - The DPR Plenary Meeting approved the ratification of the Draft Health Law (RUU) into a law in a plenary meeting.

"We will ask other factions whether the Draft Law (RUU) on Health can be approved to be ratified into law," said DPR Speaker Puan Maharani while chairing a plenary meeting reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, July 11.

The question was answered in agreement by seven factions from nine factions in the DPR. Seven factions who agreed were PDI Perjuangan, Golkar, Gerindra, NasDem, PKB, PAN and PPP. Meanwhile, the two factions who refused were Democrats and PKS.

Furthermore, Puan again asked all members of the DPR whether the Bill on health could be passed into law. The question was again answered agreeing by the members of the council.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of Commission IX of the House of Representatives Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena in his report said the Health Bill consisted of 20 chapters and 478 articles.

The Health Bill was included in the DPR's priority national legislation program (Prolegnas) in February 2023. Then, the DPR RI submitted this bill to President Joko Widodo on March 7, 2023,

The President appointed the Ministry of Health and ministries/agencies (K/L) related to compiling a List of Problem Inventory (DIM) from the government on March 9, 2023.

The Ministry of Health held a public hearing and socialization on March 13-31, 2023, aimed at professional organizations, civil society, and other related groups.

Furthermore, on June 19, 2023, a joint working meeting with the government was held with a level I decision-making agenda, and it was agreed to be brought to the next level, namely ratification in a plenary session of the DPR.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Democratic Party faction, Dede Yusuf, said that the rejection of the bill's ratification was because the government preferred to abolish the mandatory spending for the health budget, which had existed since the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

PKS Faction representative Netty Prasetiyani said the process of drafting the law was an unfavorable precedent in the future legislative process because the discussion of the bill seemed rushed. In addition, mandatory spending is important to provide sustainable health service financing with the availability of sufficient budget sums.