Scolded By Formappi For Poor Legislation Performance, DPR Speaker Puan Maharani Focuses To Accelerate Prolegnas Bill

Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani (Photo: Merry Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) officially opened Trial Period IV in 2021 through a plenary meeting, Monday, March 8 after conducting a recess. The chairman of the DPR, Puan Maharani, emphasized that in this session the DPR will soon determine the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) for the Priority Bill in 2021.

This determination, said Puan, is important as a measurable reference for the DPR in carrying out its legislative function in 2021. The DPR will also follow up on the presidential letter regarding the appointment of government representatives to discuss the law in accordance with the mechanism.

"To the head of the commission and members, the special committee together with the government can maintain the quality of the bill formation performance even though it was carried out during the pandemic," said Puan in a plenary meeting.

Entering the FY2021 quarterly State Budget, continued Puan, the DPR, and the Council's Apparatus will carry out supervision directed at handling COVID-19.

In a situation of uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy that is still ongoing today. According to her, the state needs policy and program efforts that are anticipatory from the government's fiscal policy.

"Therefore, the DPR will continue to evaluate providing support through the authority so that the government can provide services to the people, carry out development and maintain the welfare and economy of the Indonesian people," said the PDIP politician.

Previously, the Parliament Concerned Community Forum (Formappi) flicked the DPR by evaluating its performance during the last III session. Formappi stated that the legislative and budget oversight functions of the DPR are very poor.

Executive Director of Formappi I Made Leo Wiratma said the poor performance of the DPR was evident from the incomplete formulation of the legislative body in drafting the Priority Bill National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) which should have been ratified during Session Period I of the 2020-2021 Session Year.

In addition, Formappi noted that the DPR's plans in the budget sector were also chaotic, where according to the Bamus Meeting during the III session of 2020-2021 the DPR would evaluate the implementation of the 2020 Fiscal Year (TA) APBN.

Formappi noted that out of 11 Commissions in the DPR, only 8 commissions held meetings to evaluate the implementation of the 2020 FY State Budget by ministries and non-ministerial state institutions. Namely commission I, commission III, commission IV, commission V, commission VI, commission VII, commission VIII, and commission X.

"This means that there are 3 commissions that do not evaluate their partners. Those are commissions II, IX, and XI," Made said in an online press conference, Sunday, March 7.

In addition, the DPR is also not critical in evaluating the budget implementation of ministries/agencies in the 2020 Fiscal Year, even though there is a very low budget realization.