KPPU seeking tenure extension

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.