'No need to establish information commission'

'No need to establish information commission'

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Television industry figures argued on Thursday that disputes
between the public and the state over access to information
should be solved through the State Administrative Court rather
than an information commission.

The secretary-general of the Television Community (Komteve)
organization, Helmy Johannes, and the secretary-general of the
Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI), Rahman,
said that setting up a new commission would be a waste of money.

"We already have too many commissions. It would be better if
the dispute over information be brought to the State
Administrative Court," Helmy said during a hearing with members
of the House of Representatives' special committee for the
deliberation of the freedom of information bill.

"It would only place an additional burden on the state
budget," Rahman said.

The television industry figures were invited to provide input
for the legislators in their deliberation of the much-awaited
freedom of information bill.

Article 29 of the bill states that the proposed information
commission would be an independent body tasked to settle disputes
via mediation or adjudication.

The information commission would be set up at national,
provincial and regency levels.

Although opposing the establishment of the information
commission, the television industry figures agreed that there
should be some information exempted from the public domain.

But, Helmy said, the proportion of information disclosed to
the public must be greater than that exempted from disclosure.

According to Helmy, the freedom of information bill must
ensure public access to information.

The information that could be exempted from the public domain
included security information, commercial information, and
information about the location of oil wells.

In addition to limits on access to specific information, the
legislators are also preparing an official secrets bill to
protect state secrets from the public.

Activists grouped under the Coalition for Freedom of
Information have expressed fears that the official secrets bill
will affect public access to information, and has repeatedly
called for this bill to be incorporated into the freedom of
information bill.

Despite suggestions from the coalition, the House has decided
to discuss the two bills separately.

The chairman of the House committee in charge of deliberating
the freedom of information bill, Paulus Widiyanto, said recently
that the official secrets bill would be discussed after the
freedom of information bill.

"A consultative meeting of faction leaders has agreed to
discuss the secrets bill as soon as the deliberation of the
freedom of information bill has finished," Paulus said.