KPPU seeking tenure extension

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although the tenure of current members of the Commission for the Supervision of Business Competition (KPPU) expires next week, it appears that they will hold onto their posts until September, pending the selection and appointment of their replacements.

KPPU chairman Sutrisno Iwantono said the tenure for current members would expire on June 6, but to ensure the continuation of commission activities they expected that a regulation would be enacted extending their tenure in view of the anticipated lengthy process for selecting replacement members.

"Tenure extension is important to ensure the continuation of eight ongoing cases," Iwantono told a press conference.

Iwantono said a selection committee -- comprising senior state officials and independent figures, including academics -- opened registration for candidates on May 19, and would close on June 8.

"So far there have been 20 names submitted to the committee," he said, adding that the selection process would probably be completed sometime in September.

The selection and appointment process would also require approval from the House of Representatives.

The KPPU acknowledge that they had started late with the process, but claimed that they were only partly to blame.

Among other matters, KPPU had to wait for funding allocations as set out under this year's state budget, and for the government to appoint a new line-up of senior officials from certain Ministries as members of the selection committee.

Among members of the selection committee are the Ministry of Trade's secretary general Hatanto Reksodipoetro and Ministry of Justice and Human Rights director general for public law administration Zulkarnaen Yunus.

Since the commission was formed in March 1999, it has handled 41 cases of reported unfair business practices. Of the received cases, the KPPU has handed down verdicts on 23 cases and settled 10 cases, while eight were still pending.

Of the 23 verdicts, eight were in the process of being appealed to the Supreme Court, the KPPU said.