The COVID-19 Pandemic, Democrats Reject The Discussion On The Minerba Bill To Be Continued

Member of Commission VII from the Democratic Party Faction, Sartono Hutomo (Photo: Facebook Sartono Hutomo)

JAKARTA - As many as nine factions in Commission VII have given their views on the Revision of the Minerals and Coal Law (RUU Minerba) Number 4 of 2009. One of the nine factions refuses to continue discussing this bill in the midst of the corona virus pandemic or COVID-19, namely Democrats.

Member of Commission VII from the Democratic Party Faction, Sartono Hutomo, considered it unethical to approve the draft Bill Number 4 of 2009 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, the DPR and the government should have discussed the handling of this virus, which is also part of the duties of Commission VII.

"Considering the current conditions, when a precarious country and society are suffering from COVID-19, it is not right for the Indonesian Parliament to discuss other matters beyond the handling of COVID-19," he said, during a working meeting of Commission VII with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. virtual, Monday, May 11.

From the start, said Sartono, the Democrats had indeed expressed their disapproval of the continued discussion of this bill until the emergency response period for COVID-19 ended.

"From the start, PD has been consistent in not taking part in discussions because this pandemic needs extra attention. So, we focus on helping the people because there is a lot of lack here and there in handling," he said.

Sartono said the government should focus more on providing assistance to the community, such as in the electricity sector, fuel prices, and LPG distribution in areas that are really affected by COVID-19. It's not just continuing the discussion of this bill, especially since this bill has drawn public criticism.

The Draft Bill Still Has Many Disadvantages

Furthermore, Sartono explained, in the latest draft of the Minerba Bill which is currently being presented there are still many shortcomings that must be taken into account by the DPR and the government. Points highlighted are changes in nomenclature which led to a significant shift in regional authority over the central government.

Then, regulation of mining business permits, strengthening mineral and coal management plans, community mining governance, and import-export mechanisms. Sartono assessed that the Minerba Bill draft also did not consider environmental impacts. Democrats also view that there are overlapping rules in the Minerba Bill and the Job Creation Bill which are currently also being rushed in the DPR.

Sartono said that his party wanted to not rush the Minerba Bill. Because, in the process it is necessary to hear more public voices, including the polemic of the loss of article 165 regarding sanctions for officials who abuse the authority to issue Mining Business Permits (IUP), Special Mining Business Permits (IUPK), and People's Mining Permits (IPR) IUPK. IPR.

In addition, Sartono stated that the overlap between the Minerba Bill and the Ciptaker Bill was caused because it was full of interests and ignored environmental aspects. It also regulates mining business and mining investment in which if a company commits a mining violation, a presidential regulation is sufficient.

"This is as if the Perpres position is higher than the Law. Based on this note, the PD rejects the discussion and decision making of the Minerba Bill to be continued at the next level and postpones it until the emergency response period ends," he explained.

For your information, apart from the Democrats, the other eight factions are the Democratic Party and the Indonesian Struggle (PDIP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Gerindra Party, the Golkar Party, the Nasdem Party, until The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) approved the Minerba Bill to be discussed at the top level with several notes.

In a working meeting with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, a representative of the PKS faction, Mulyanto, said that the point about limiting the area of mineral and coal mining permits must be strictly regulated in the Minerba Bill.

Not only that, Mulyanto also asked that the area limitation for the extension of IUP / IUPK as well as adjustments for KK and PKP2B whose contracts had expired, had to adjust the boundaries of these areas and not be based on considerations of planning or the area they had previously, as in Articles 83 and 169A of the Draft. The Minerba Bill that has been discussed.

"This is very important so there is no excessive control of the territory by a handful of parties that could violate the principle of justice for all Indonesian people," he said.