Observers Ask DPR To Result In Laws That Are In Accordance With Needs, Not Formality

DPR via unsplash

JAKARTA - The DPR RI is considered to have carried out its supervisory function optimally, which has an impact on increasing the positive image of the legislative body. Although during the 2019-2024 period the DPR RI went through a difficult and challenging journey due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the DPR is said to have shown real performance for the people.

"The DPR continues to show solid performance, both in terms of legislation, budget, and supervision," said Political Communication Observer Silvanus Alvin, Friday, October 4.

Alvin also highlighted the performance of the DPR for the 2019-2024 period under the leadership of Puan Maharani as the chairman who has succeeded in distributing 225 laws from the legislative side, which cover various sectors such as defense cooperation with a number of countries and national development, including those carried out through the omnibus law method.

"Especially Law No. 12 of 2022 concerning the Crime of Sexual Violence (TPKS) which is widely awaited by the public to overcome the rise of cases of sexual violence. Then the Law on Maternal and Child Welfare (KIA) and the Omnibus Law on Health Law are made to improve services for the community," he explained.

For the period 2024-2029, Alvin hopes that the DPR will strengthen the political will on the legislative function.

"So that the resulting law does not only meet formal needs, but is also relevant to the needs of the community," said Alvin.

The strong political will will help the DPR work more effectively in resolving substantial issues faced by the state as stated by Puan Maharani in the last Plenary Meeting of the DPR for the 2019-2024 period, "added the millennial lecturer at Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN).

Not only legislation, Alvin assessed that the DPR had also succeeded in carrying out its budget function well in the 2019-2024 period which had just completed its term of service on September 30.

"The DPR has also succeeded in ensuring that the APBN remains a strategic instrument in supporting economic recovery and maintaining people's welfare, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic," said Alvin.

As is known, the DPR has approved various Government policies in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in terms of refocusing and reallocation of a number of APBN budgets for the 2020 Fiscal Year. The handling of the Covid-19 pandemic was carried out twice, namely through Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 54 of 2020 and then changed again to Presidential Decree Number 72 of 2020.

The Indonesian House of Representatives also ratified Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2020 concerning Financial Policy and Stability of the Financial System for Handling the Covid-19 Pandemic into Law Number 2 of 2020 concerning State Financial Policy and Financial System Stability for the handling of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic and/or in order to face threats that endanger the National Economy and/or Financial System Stability.

The DPR has also carried out its constitutional duties by compiling, discussing, and approving the APBN every year. The DPR finalizes the State Budget Law for Fiscal Year 2021 until the Draft Law on the State Budget for Fiscal Year 2025.

The council in the 2019-2024 period has also completed the Semester 1 Report and the second semester of Prognosis for the 2020-2024 period and the Accountability Law for the Implementation of the 2019 Fiscal State Budget until the 2023 Fiscal Year. This means that the DPR for the 2019-2024 period has discussed as many as 5 bill on accountability for the implementation of the State Budget until the end of its term of office on September 30, 2024.

At the end of his term of office, the DPR for the 2019-2024 period together with the Government compiled a Draft State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (RAPBN) for the 2025 Fiscal Year by increasing other spending portions to provide budget space for the new government later.

Regarding the supervisory function, the DPR is known to have held thousands of meetings with partners. During the 2019-2024 period, the DPR has carried out the supervisory function through a working meeting of 1,063 meetings, 1,356 hearings (RDP), 852 meetings.

In addition, the DPR has also made working visits (kunkers) to the regions as many as 1,199 visits, 163 accounts abroad, 1,600 specific accounts for visits, 418 Working Committees (Panja) and 1 Special Committee (Pansus).

"The DPR's supervisory function is also carried out optimally through thousands of work meetings and visits to regions and abroad. This strengthens the principles of checks and balances in the government," said Alvin.

Optimally, the results of the DPR's performance, according to Alvin, can be seen from the improvement in the positive image of the institution that houses the representatives of the people.

"The increase in public confidence in the DPR, as shown by the results of the Kompas Research and Development survey, is clear evidence that a slick collaboration among members of the DPR has succeeded in improving the image of this legislative institution," said the master winner from the University of Leicester, England, that.