Media executives against plan on foreign investment
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) and the Association of Newspaper Publishers (SPS) are closing ranks against the government's plan to open up their industry to foreign investors.
Minister of Information Harmoko meanwhile expressed surprise at the government's decision, included in the latest deregulation package, saying that he was never consulted.
Harmoko insisted that as far as he was concerned, the Indonesian media remains closed to foreigners as stipulated in the 1982 Press Law.
As the official who grants the SIUPP, the publishers license, the minister said he would see to it that no foreigner will ever have a say in the running of a domestic press or broadcast concern.
He also pointed out that a law takes precedence over a government regulation, upon which the new rule allowing foreign ownership is based.
Harmoko said there was poor coordination between ministry officials as "nobody asked for consultation from me before the new policy was announced".
PWI Chairman Sofjan Lubis meanwhile said that given the contradiction between the new regulation and the existing press law, the government should review its decision, the Antara news agency reported.
SPS Chairman Handjojo Nitimihardjo remarked that the new regulation "is an incredible challenge to SPS".
He said the organization was currently still trying to find ways of keeping down soaring prices of newspaper paper, "and now we are confronted with yet a new problem".
Mission
He joined hands with Sofjan in calling on the government to reconsider its decision to allow foreigners into the press and broadcasting industry.
"Foreign media would surely be profit oriented ...The Indonesian press has a mission, that is educate the nation ... based on Pancasila," Handjojo said.
The media executives took their time to prepare their official reaction to the government ruling and it was members of the House of Representatives (DPR) who were the first to pick up the cause, declaring that the Indonesian media was not for sale.
Many DPR members on Friday had already warned that allowing foreign control of the Indonesian press would cause irreparable damage to the nation.
A more cautious comment however came from Goenawan Mohamad, the chief editor of the Tempo magazine, who pointed out that the ruling was inevitable given that Indonesia is a signatory of the newly updated General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which calls for a comprehensive liberalization of trade and investment.
"The new situation just has to be accepted," Goenawan told The Jakarta Post.
He offered a word of wisdom on the benefits of competition from outsiders. "It might just encourage competition. Who knows?"
He said Indonesia could learn from India's experience. "Let's wait and see what happens, because Indonesia does not seem to be afraid to open up its mass media (to foreign ownership)".
Confused
Goenawan also pointed out that the government "seemed confused" over the legal force of regulations.
He said that while the new policy, which is a government regulation, clearly contradicts the 1982 Press Law, the government has been willing to ignore this law in the past. He referred to the ministerial decree issued by Harmoko in 1984, which allows him to revoke press publishing licenses in contravention of the law.
"If a ministerial decree can surmount a law, then a government regulation can surely do that as well," he said.
To break out of the current confusion, Goenawan proposed that the law be amended, but this would also entail changes in the government regulations.
"The government should also anticipate the possibilities of foreign parties intending to invest in electronic media, or those who want a share of it," he said.
"The government would surely be embarrassed to take back its regulation or repeal the Press Law. This shows that they (the government) do not abide by a consistent policy." (pwn)