Government drafting five bills on media

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government is drafting five bills aimed at ensuring easier access to information for the public, State Minister for Communication and Information Syamsul Mu'arif said on Tuesday.

The bills geared to protecting consumers' rights, especially online media, will be submitted to the House of Representatives in early 2002 for deliberation.

The bills are on broadcasting, transparency and freedom of information, information technology, digital signatures and electronic transactions, Syamsul said,

The broadcasting bill is in fact a revision of the one already debated earlier this year that was delayed due to strong opposition from members of the media. The bill sets strict rules on media ownership to avoid a monopoly of the media by a handful of capitalists -- a fear that media circles say is unsubstantiated.

The bill on transparency and freedom of information sets penalties for anyone who denies the public their right to information.

"A government official would be subject to certain penalties if he refused, for example, to disclose to the public the state budget," Syamsul said.

The other three bills on information technology, digital signatures and electronic transactions, concern online or Internet media, which will be the first of its kind.

The information technology bill is being drafted in cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation, while the digital signature and electronic transaction bills are being drafted in cooperation with Ministry of Trade and Industry, Syamsul said.

The revision of Law No. 40/1999 on the media is intended to provide legal protection for journalists.