Job Creation Law Improves Livelihoods: President Jokowi

The Job Creation Omnibus bill that has been passed into Law is expected to improve the lives of workers, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.

“It also aims to improve livelihoods for their families,” President Jokowi said at Bogor Presidential Palace, Friday (9/10).

According to the President, the Job Creation Law has three objectives, namely to provide employment, to facilitate business people—especially micro and small enterprises (MSEs)—in establishing new businesses, and to prevent and eradicate corruption.

Every year, President Jokowi continued, there are around 2.9 million young people entering the jobs market and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are around 6.9 million unemployed people and 3.5 million workers who have lost their jobs due to pandemic.

Furthermore, the Law, he added, also encourages the creation of new employment in the labor-intensive sector since 87 percent of people at working age are high school graduates or lower, of which 39 percent of whom are only elementary school graduates, the President said.

In addition, the Law also streamlines procedures in opening business and it will make it easy for the community—especially MSEs entrepreneurs—to grow their businesses, he added.

“They no longer need a business license. All they need to do is register their businesses,” President Jokowi said, adding that the Government will finance halal certification for MSEs engaged in the food and beverage sector.

Moreover, the President added that the fishing vessel only requires operational license from Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries after previously having to apply to Ministry of Transportation and other related agencies.

The Law also helps to prevent corruption. “By streamlining (the process) and integrating it into online registration, illegal levies can be eliminated,” President Jokowi said.

For the record, there are eleven clusters in the Job Creation Law that aim to carry out structural reforms and accelerate economic transformation.

Those eleven clusters include simpler licensing procedures, investment requirements, employment, land acquisition, ease of doing business, research and innovation support, government administration, imposition of sanctions, easy empowerment and protection of MSMEs, government investment and projects, and economic zones. (FID/UN)

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Edited by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas