The President’s remarks come amid his drive to attract more investors to the country. Earlier in his inaugural address on Oct. 20, he said that the government must cut down on “all forms of obstructive regulation”.

“My message to governors, regents, mayors and the heads of regional legislative councils is: Don’t make too many regional regulations,” Jokowi told the forum. “This country already has too many regulations. […] If everything is regulated, we will ensnare ourselves. Enough already.”

The President stressed that if every little thing was regulated, then the country would be slow to respond to change. “What is the use of so many regulations?” he said.

He also underlined that the government was in the process of drafting an “omnibus law” on job creation that would combine more than 70 laws.

Jokowi recounted his recent meeting United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, quoting Ross as saying that members of the US Cabinet were required to remove two regulations for every new one they issued.

“I want to make a similar rule. Ministers are allowed to create a new regulation [only] if they remove 10, not two,” he added. “Flexibility and speed are of the utmost importance.” (kmt)

By: Marchio Irfan Gorbiano