Quick Discussion, Kominfo Expects the Draft Presidential Decree Publisher Right to be completed before March

Director General of Information and Public Communication Usman Kansong (photo: Capture of the Kemkominfo YouTube screen)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) through the Director General of Information and Public Communication Usman Kansong, said that he would immediately discuss and discuss the draft Presidential Regulation (perpres) on regulation of journalistic copyrights (publisher rights) with the press council and other related institutions.

"So on January 27, 2023, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, which was tasked with discussing this draft, requested permission for the initiative from the President. Then, the President gave permission for the Ministry of Communications and Informatics to re-discuss this draft presidential regulation before it is later signed. On the National Press Day in Medan yesterday, Kominfo was given one month," said Usman in his press conference, Wednesday, February 15 in Jakarta.

Publisher Right is a draft regulation regarding the relationship between digital platforms and news companies to create quality journalism, which is the result of discussions from the Press Council's Media Sustainability Team.

"So on National Press Day 2020 in Banjarmasin, the president showed concern about the survival of the media which was not doing well, due to the domination of digital platforms. The president asked the press community to submit a draft regulation called the publisher rights regulation. From there a media sustainability team was formed based on the Decree. press conference," he explained.

After going through a lengthy process and discussion, finally the Ministry of Communication and Informatics together with the press council and other press communities agreed that this regulation would take the form of a Presidential Regulation (perpres), and handed it over directly to the president through the State Secretary to request permission for the initiative.

Kominfo was then given one month to discuss the draft presidential regulation with the press council and related institutions. It is planned that Kominfo will hold a joint meeting on Wednesday, February 15 this afternoon, at 14:00 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB).

There is still no clarity on how the regulation works, and the implementing agency. But what is clear, Usman said that this regulation is expected to create digital platform cooperation with press companies in Indonesia, in terms of distributing and utilizing news.

"The draft presidential regulation will become the legal basis, now there will definitely be an executor. It will be the executor who will formulate and make derivative regulations from the presidential regulation regarding the mechanism of cooperation. Is it for advertising revenue sharing, compensation or remuneration, or in other forms. Later all it will be regulated based on the institution that we will form later," concluded Usman.

Usman also revealed that his party would have a marathon discussion so that the regulations could be completed in less than one month, and could be ratified in March.

“Yes, it should be (passed in March), I think yes. Because it's already the president's directive, so we will discuss it in a marathon. The design is there, the provisions are there, we just have to discuss it, finalize it, and perfect it. I think in time, hopefully before one month a more perfect draft of Perpres can be completed," he said.