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In the first episode, Nandakumar Ponniya, chair of the Asia Pacific Dispute Resolution Group, Cynthia Tang, head of the Hong Kong Dispute Resolution team, and Yoshiaki Muto, head of Tokyo’s Dispute Resolution team, discuss developments in commercial litigation around four key areas: (1) technology, (2) mediation, (3) international commercial courts, and (4) class actions in Asia Pacific.

The issuance of Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation (commonly known as the “Omnibus Law”) and its implementing regulations, in particular Government Regulation No. 46 of 2021 on Postal, Telecommunication and Broadcasting (“Regulation 46”) and Presidential Regulation No. 10 of 2021 on Capital Investment Business Fields (commonly known as the “Priority List”), proposes significant regulatory changes to the technology and telecommunication sectors. With the various liberalization and investment incentives offered, the government expects to boost growth in these sectors, both encouraging local players as well as attracting foreign investors. 

On the other hand, the government also wants to be more involved and to have more monitoring authority in the technology and telecommunication sectors, where services can be provided and offerings can be made seamlessly from offshore to Indonesia without any actual presence in Indonesia.

On 2 February, the Indonesian government enacted a number of implementing regulations of Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation (“Omnibus Law”), though many were only made available to the public on 21 February.

One of the enacted implementing regulations is Government Regulation No. 35 of 2021 on Definite Period Employment Agreements, Outsourcing, Working and Resting Hours and Termination of Employment (“Regulation 35”).

On 4 February 2021, the Government published its long-awaited draft implementing regulations on the job creation law (the “Omnibus Law”).  Previously, the competition authority could impose an administrative fine for competition law infringements of up to IDR 25 billion. The new maximum penalty will be either 50% of the profit gained by the violating party in the period in which it was in violation or 10% of its revenue. The new regulations also introduce other factors to be considered in determining penalties, as well as amendments to the appeals procedure.

It is unclear when this draft, which was to be issued within three months after enactment of the Omnibus Law, i.e. 2 February, will be signed and in force.

The Constitutional Court recently issued a judgment rejecting a request to include Over the Top (OTT) services under the scope of Law No. 32 of 2002 on Broadcasting as amended by Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation (“Broadcasting Law”). The judgment saves OTT services operators from licensing and censorship requirements under the Broadcasting Law. If the court had granted the request, OTT services operators would have needed to be licensed as broadcasting institutions and be subject to censorship by the movie censorship board. The judgment confirms that OTT services are not subject to the Broadcasting Law and remain subject to Law No 19 of 2016 on Amendment of Law No. 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and/or Transaction (“EIT Law”).

The Constitutional Court’s judgment is final, binding, and not subject to appeal.

The judgment was rendered following an application for constitutional review of the above provision by two conventional broadcasting operators who perceived that there is unequal treatment against them and OTT service operators.

Under Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation (Omnibus Law), which came into force on 2 November 2020, the government is mandated to promptly issue implementing regulations of the Omnibus Law. To have Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund (Lembaga Pengelola Investasi or LPI) up and running, the government has issued two government regulations on LPI. The first one1 is on state participation in LPI’s capital, and the other one regulates governance and operational matters of LPI.2

With the required government regulations already in place, LPI, which may also use the name “Indonesia Investment Authority” or INA, is expected to commence its activities within Q1 2021.

To see our previous client alert on LPI, please click here.

In a previous Client Alert (see here), we discussed a rule issued by the Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan – OJK) back in 2017 that requires all financial institutions and public and listed companies to prepare a sustainability report and submit it to OJK within a stipulated period. This obligation is set out under Rule No. 51/POJK.03/2017 on Implementation of Financial Sustainability for Financial Services Providers, Issuers and Public Companies (“OJK Rule 51”).

However, towards the end of 2020, OJK (i.e., the capital market division) issued a letter to all listed companies (“OJK Letter”), which effectively extends the deadline for certain types of listed companies to submit their sustainability report. This move is in response to a plea from the Indonesian Issuers Association for an extension and also in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Indonesia.