The January 2022 edition of the Indonesian Update features a main report on a number of tariff and price increase policies that have been implemented in early 2022. This is in particular is the increase in tariffs and prices for energy and consumption needs. The increase in tariffs and prices needs to pay attention to people’s purchasing power and macroeconomic conditions, as well as the conditions of related stakeholders, who are still not fully recovered from the pandemic.
In the legal field, the Indonesian Update discusses the re-discussions of the PDP Bill in 2022, which are a signal that the Government and the DPR are still committed to ratifying this bill. However, this also shows that the legislators were not able to complete the discussions of the PDP Bill even though this bill was included in the list of Priority Prolegnas for 2021. Furthermore, we also discuss the existence of the SKB Interpretations. The implementations of the ITE Law have not solved the problem of punishment in the digital room. Amnesty International Indonesia noted that there were 84 cases of violation of expression with a total of 98 victims charged with the ITE Law throughout 2021. These conditions prove that the SKB Interpretations of the Implementations of the ITE Law have not succeeded in breaking the chain of punishments in the digital space.
In the political field, the Indonesian Update highlights the importance of political parties to disclose all their financial reports to the public. In addition to increasing public trust, financial transparency of political parties can prevent corruption because all financing is not carried out under the table. In addition, we discuss the widespread practice of clientelism in the Indonesian election that needs serious attention ahead of the upcoming 2024 General Elections. Revising criminal sanctions in the Election Law so that it can provide a deterrent effect and increasing the ability of voters to determine leaders who are free from corruption through rejection of money politics have become the main solution in overcoming the practice of clientelism in elections.
In the social sector, the Indonesian Update raises the issue of gender inequality in Indonesia. According to the data on the Gender Inequality Index and the Global Gender Gap Index, gender inequality is still a big problem in Indonesia. It is necessary to strengthen development with a gender perspective in the dimensions of education, economic opportunity, health, and politics to realize equality and eliminate existing inequalities. In addition, we also discuss the Prototype Curriculum to improve the quality of student learning. The success of curriculum implementations is also closely related to the readiness of various factors such as teachers and schools.
The monthly publication of the Indonesian Update with actual themes is expected to help policy makers in government and business institutions – as well as academics, think tanks, and elements of civil society, both at home and abroad, to obtain actual information and contextual analysis of economic conditions, political, social, and legal issues in Indonesia, as well as an understanding of public policy in Indonesia.
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