DPR Commission IV Demands Review of Omnibus Law, Arguing Eased Permitting Contributes to Worsening Hydrometeorological Disasters.
In the wake of a series of severe hydrometeorological disasters across Indonesia, sharp scrutiny has been directed toward the nation’s foundational economic policies. Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) is demanding a thorough evaluation and revision of regulations deemed likely to exacerbate environmental damage, primarily the Job Creation Law (UU Cipta Kerja).
This demand highlights a critical policy conflict: the government’s push for easy investment versus the urgent need for ecological protection. The regulation, intended to streamline business, is now being criticized as a principal driver of environmental degradation.
The Job Creation Law: Easing Permits, Escalating Exploitation
The core criticism, voiced by Commission IV member Slamet, targets the loopholes created by the Job Creation Law:
- Source of the Problem: According to the PKS Faction Politician, the Job Creation Law is a key source of the issue because it is seen as easing permitting requirements, which in turn triggers excessive exploitation of the natural environment.
- Disaster Connection: This urgent call for revision follows national grief over recent hydrometeorological disasters, implicitly linking regulatory deregulation directly to the environmental destruction observed on the ground.
Parliamentary Advocacy: Demanding Regulatory Reform
DPR Commission IV, which focuses on environmental and natural resource affairs, asserts that environmental advocacy must now be a primary focus (concern).
- Political Mandate: Slamet confirmed that the political step for the PKS Faction and other Commission IV members is to fight for regulatory improvements that are more favorable to environmental preservation.
- The Target: This advocacy explicitly targets the revision of the Job Creation Law as a crucial step in preventing future ecological crises.
The Call for an Ecological Audit
The intense scrutiny of the Job Creation Law sends a clear signal to the government: economic development must not undermine environmental integrity.
- The Principle: Parliament argues that regulation must be modified to prevent future ecological disasters.
- The Trade-Off: Indonesia must find a balance where investment and business (the ease of doing business objective) can proceed without sacrificing land, forests, and water sources. If regulatory easing leads directly to national disaster, the policy must be immediately audited and reformed.
Parliament is now demanding assurance that economic policy will no longer serve as a de facto license for environmental destruction.
The Editorial Team
