Lawmakers to focus more on legislation<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Starting next year, all House of Representatives commissions will
\nhave to submit reports on their work programs prior to a new
\nsitting period to keep track of their progress and performance,
\nHouse Speaker Agung Laksono said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The reports, which Agung said would be made public, should
\ninclude priority issues and the target of bills to be passed to
\nkeep each commission focused on the work and the schedules set
\nout.<\/p>\n
\"These targets, in my opinion, should be submitted to the
\nHouse leadership and made public at the end of a sitting period
\nor at least as soon as a new one kicks off, so there's a sense of
\nresponsibility,\" Agung said.<\/p>\n
He said he thought the current House members had done well in
\nsupervising the government and debating the state budget.<\/p>\n
\"You see how tight and strict House members are in reviewing
\nthe government's performance. And you see how tired they due to
\nhaving to stay until midnight to draft the state budget,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
But the House's legislation function had not been as expected,
\nAgung said.<\/p>\n
The target of passing 55 laws this year is likely to be missed
\nsince only 12 have been passed so far. Legislators and the
\ngovernment have been blaming each other for the shortfall.<\/p>\n
The House is expected to deliberate and endorse 284 bills by
\nthe end of its term in 2009.<\/p>\n
Agung admitted that House members had been focusing on their
\npolitical jobs and had overlooked their legislation duties.<\/p>\n
\"In most cases we have to wait quite a long time for the
\nPresident to issue a letter delegating ministers to represent the
\ngovernment in a bill deliberation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But some House members said they barely had time to deliberate
\nbills due to their workload of supervising the government.
\nLegislators are usually assigned to two or more committees that
\nwork simultaneously to deliberate bills.<\/p>\n
Agung said the House needed a new design for legislators' work
\nschedule to avoid overlapping meetings.<\/p>\n
\"A new system will make it possible for House members to
\ndivide their time so that they can also focus on their
\nlegislation function,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The House is striving to pass 43 bills next year.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lawmakers-to-focus-more-on-legislation-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }