NGOs submit their antimonopoly bill<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
\nhanded over their version of the antimonopoly bill to the House
\nof Representatives on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Their draft, containing 10 chapters and 32 articles, was
\npresented to the House's special committee preparing the long
\nawaited antimonopoly bill.<\/p>\n
Handing over the bill was noted consumer advocate Zaim Saidi
\nof the Public Interest Research and Advocacy Center (PIRAC),
\nMukti Asikin from the Community for the Empowerment of Small-
\nScale Enterprises (PUPUK) and Trinirmalaningrum from the
\nFoundation for the Empowerment of Public Participation,
\nInitiative and Partnership (YAPPIKA).<\/p>\n
Zaim said in the meeting chaired by Rambe Kamarul Zaman that
\nthe draft was meant as input for the House's special committee in
\nmaking the antimonopoly legislation.<\/p>\n
\"Our draft is not meant to counter the bill of the special
\ncommittee. It could be used as comparison,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The antimonopoly bill is the first House-initiated bill since
\n1971. Consisting of 11 chapters and 53 articles, it was formally
\nsubmitted to the House's plenary session early this month. The
\ngovernment has supported the bill.<\/p>\n
Public demands to have such a bill never gained significant
\nresponse from the House until recently.<\/p>\n
Zaim called on the special commission to be receptive to all
\ninput given by the public.<\/p>\n
Mukti said the antimonopoly law should regulate not only
\nhealthy business behavior but also market structure so that \"our
\nmarket in the future will no longer be monopolistic and
\noligopolistic\".<\/p>\n
\"The definition of monopoly and oligopoly should be clearly
\nexplained in the law,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that certain sectors and enterprises that were in the
\nbest interests of most people should be exempt from the
\nantimonopoly law as stipulated in the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"Those to be exempt should be enterprises which are strategic
\nand vital to national defense and security, companies producing
\nproducts needed by a majority of people and economic activities
\nwhich are naturally monopolistic,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mukti said the government should set up an independent
\ncommission to enforce the law.<\/p>\n
\"The team's members should be no more than five because it
\nwould otherwise most likely be ineffective,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Trinirmalaningrum said the law should introduce stiff
\nsanctions, comprising warnings, fines and jail sentences, to
\nprevent monopolistic practices.<\/p>\n
The version submitted by the NGOs threatens a jail sentence
\nbetween four years and 10 years, or a fine equal to between 20
\npercent and 40 percent of a company's assets.<\/p>\n
Rambe of the Golkar faction hailed the draft submitted by the
\nNGOs.<\/p>\n
He said his commission would invite NGOs, law experts and
\nbusinesspeople to discussions on the House-initiated bill after
\nthe House had finished discussing it with the government.<\/p>\n
The bill is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
\n(rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-submit-their-antimonopoly-bill-1447893297",
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