House to focus on budget revision
House to focus on budget revision
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
After a five-week recess, the House of Representatives kicked off
on Monday its fourth sitting period, which will focus on the
deliberation of the state budget revision and the bill on
disaster management.
Over the next 10 weeks, the House also will prioritize bills
on the 2005-2025 national development program and the
establishment of religious courts in the provinces of North
Maluku, Banten, Gorontalo and Bangka Belitung.
The revision of the 2005 state budget became a top priority
following the government's decision to increase fuel prices
earlier this year by an average of 29 percent.
By raising fuel prices, the government significantly changed a
number of assumptions in the state budget, particularly regarding
the fuel subsidy and the budgets of a number of departments and
ministries.
The House also is scheduled to begin preliminary talks on the
2006 state budget, said House Speaker Agung Laksono, who presided
over Monday's plenary session.
He said the House also considered the bill on disaster
management of paramount importance following several natural
disasters over the past few months, including the magnitude 9.0
earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Aceh, claiming
over 125,000 lives.
Enacting the law is essential to provide a legal basis for
coordinated and swift responses to natural disasters, Agung said.
The House also is expected to discuss a bill on the 2003 state
budget calculation, which was suspended pending a report from the
Supreme Audit Agency.
During the current session, the House will work to nominate
new deputy governors for Bank Indonesia and new members for the
General Elections Commission. As for the much-anticipated
judicial commission, the House is still waiting the government to
complete the selection process for prospective members.
The House will also proceed with a request filed by a group of
legislators for inquires into the government's fuel policy, the
sale of state oil and gas firm Pertamina's super tankers and
illegal sugar imports.
The House expressed on Monday its regret over a Constitutional
Court decision allowing the court to review laws enacted before
the first amendment of the Constitution.
"Law No. 24/2003 on the Constitutional Court only allows the
court to review laws enacted after the first amendment.
Therefore, it is about time the House started discussing the
relationship among state institutions," said Agung.
The House is scheduled this year to deliberate 55 bills
included in the National Legislation Program, which is a
reference for legislators in the law-making process.
The 55 bills are among the 284 bills tabled for deliberation
during the 2005-2009 period.
Other bills scheduled for deliberation this year:
1. On the Presidency
2. On the Presidential Advisory Board
3. On Ministerial Offices
4. On the Revision of the Criminal Code
5. On Immigration
6. On Citizenship
7. On the Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination
8. On the Protection of Witnesses
9. On State Borders
10. On State Secrecy
11. On the Capital Market
12. On Freedom of Information
13. On Health
14. On Sports
14. On Teachers
15. On Human Trafficking