Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Law

  • Indonesia’s House of Representatives Approves Omnibus Health Bill; What Changes?

    Indonesia’s House of Representatives Approves Omnibus Health Bill; What Changes?

    On Tuesday 11 July 2023, Indonesia’s House of Representatives (or DPR) passed the Omnibus Health bill into law. The only two political parties (both opposition parties) that voted against this bill were the Democratic Party (PD) and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Main reasons behind their rejection involved the rushed deliberation, and the removal of mandatory government spending on the health sector.

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  • Government Regulation No. 34/2021 on the Utilization of Foreign Employment

    The presence of ‘something foreign’ in Indonesia is often still a somewhat sensitive issue. And, we would not be surprised if it is the country’s prolonged colonial period – when foreign forces (particularly the Dutch) came to the Archipelago in search of commodities – that brings back traumatic memories from the past. This history may thus also explain why Indonesia – today – shows a relatively high degree of economic nationalism and resource nationalism.

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  • Parliament of Indonesia Approves New Antiterrorism Law

    Barely two weeks after the terrorist attacks in Surabaya (East Java) and Pekanbaru (Riau) Indonesian parliament unanimously approved a new anti-terrorism law. It is actually a revision of Indonesia's 2003 Antiterrorism Law (which was regarded too weak to combat - and thwart - terrorist activities efficiently). The new bill was passed during a plenary session on Friday (25/05). The bill took more than two years of deliberation. However, the recent attacks significantly sped up the process.

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  • Prosecutors Demand Two Years Probation in Ahok's Blasphemy Case

    It is no surprise that Jakarta prosecution only demands a relatively light sentence for incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known by his nickname Ahok) for his alleged blasphemous speech in late-2016. On Thursday (20/04) prosecution announced their recommendation of two years of probation for Ahok. The announcement came (deliberately) one day after the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. Based on the quick count results Ahok was defeated by Anies Baswedan in this election and so we assume that this blasphemy trial has now lost its significance.

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  • Trump & Indonesia: 6-Star Bali Hotel Project Meets Resistance

    Together with Indonesian business partner Hary Tanoesoedibjo, the Trump Organization, which was ran by US President Donald Trump between 1971 and 2017, plans to build the biggest and most luxurious hotel on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, complete with an upgraded golf course and ocean view (which includes a view on the 16th century Hindu pilgrimage temple Pura Tanah Lot). However, this USD $1 billion (six-star) resort project met resistance from the local population.

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  • Tobacco Advertising on Television Banned in Indonesia?

    Commission I of Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) plans to revise Law No. 32/2002 on Broadcasting by adding a full ban on the advertisement of tobacco-related products on television and radio. Indonesia's tobacco industry, a massive industry in Southeast Asia's largest economy, objects to this plan. This ban would also have a big affect on government revenue (excise duties on cigarettes are a key source of government revenue) as well as on revenue generated by media institution because tobacco companies are the fifth-largest advertiser in Indonesia.

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  • Jakarta Governor Ahok Named Suspect in Blasphemy Investigation

    After a first hearing on Tuesday (15/11) Indonesia's Police named incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (better known as Ahok) as suspect in a blasphemy investigation case, implying that he cannot leave the country while investigation is conducted. This announcement was made on Wednesday morning (16/11). About a dozen people filed blasphemy allegations against Ahok after a manipulated recording surfaced on social media showing him expressing disrespectful language about a specific Quranic verse during a speech in Kepulauan Seribu, off the coast of Jakarta, in early October.

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  • Politics & Religion in Indonesia: Ahok's Blasphemy Allegations

    Jakarta's Police Department said chances are small that there will be another anti-Ahok demonstration in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta. Over the past week media reported that protesters want to stage another demonstration on 25 November 2016 to demand the arrest of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (known as Ahok). Protesters accuse Ahok (a Christian of Chinese descent) of blasphemy after seeing a manipulated video that showed Ahok (mis)quoting Quranic verses during a speech in Kepulauan Seribu, off the coast of Jakarta, in early October.

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  • Tax Amnesty Bill Indonesia Implemented in Late July 2016?

    Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro is optimistic that the Tax Amnesty Bill can be turned into law at the next meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR). Although not all 27 articles of the Tax Amnesty Bill have been discussed yet among both institutions, the most crucial articles have been debated and the DPR seems to agree that the bill will raise the government's tax revenue. The government and DPR agree that deliberations should be completed by 28 July 2016.

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  • Government of Indonesia plans to Allow Earlier Talks for Extension of Mining Contracts

    In an effort to improve legal certainty and the business climate in Indonesia’s mining industry, the government announced it will revise a regulation that currently limits the time to start negotiating about an extension of a mining permit to two years before the concession contract’s expiration date. Sudirman Said, Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, said the government plans to allow extension talks to start up to ten years before contracts end.

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Latest Columns Law

  • Remarkable News Indonesia: to Insult or Criticize the President?

    In the past couple of days Indonesian media touched upon the government’s proposal to revive a law that had been removed by Indonesia’s Constitutional Court in 2006. This law makes the act of insulting the Indonesian president an illegal act and can lead to prison sentences and fines. Criticism on the government’s proposal immediately emerged as several legislators and human rights activists fear that freedom of speech will be curtailed in the young democracy. Moreover, it can further erode public support for President Joko Widodo.

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  • New Regulation on Mandatory Use of Rupiah in Indonesia

    On March 31, 2015, Bank Indonesia issued regulation number 17/3/PBI/2015 concerning Mandatory Use of Rupiah in the Territory of Indonesia (BI Regulation). In the much discussed Law number 7 of 2011 concerning Currency the mandatory use of rupiah in Indonesia was already regulated, however could be exempted in case the contract parties had agreed in writing to the terms of payment in a currency other than rupiah. Under the new BI regulation the terms on the use of foreign currencies are further restricted. In this column we discuss the most important changes based on the BI Regulation.

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  • Paving the Way for Geothermal Energy Development in Indonesia

    Asep Sugiharta, an official at the Ministry of Forestry, said that a new bill has been submitted to Indonesia's parliament (DPR) which is expected to open up the potential for geothermal power development in Indonesia. Currently, geothermal exploitation is lawfully defined as a 'mining activity' (Law No. 27 2003) and therefore prohibited to be conducted in protected forest and conservation areas (Law No. 41 1999), even though geothermal mining activities have a relatively small impact on the environment (compared to other mining activities).

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