Ministry of Social Affairs Ready to Support Administration for the Establishment of National Commission for Disabilities

JAKARTA (June 23rd 2020) - The Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari P. Batubara said that concrete programs and actions are needed to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities. This was said by the Minister of Social Affairs at an internal meeting with his staff, in order to follow up on Presidential Regulation Number 68 of 2020 on the National Commission for Disabilities. The National Commission for Disabilities has long been awaited, as a structured institution in terms of monitoring, fulfilling and advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities.

The mandate for the formation of the Presidential Decree on National Commission for Disabilities is regulated in Article 131, Article 132, Article 134 and Article 149 of Law Number 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities. and then discussed with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and further processed by the Ministry of State Secretariat for approval by the President. The involvement of persons with disabilities organizations has been carried out since the beginning of the formulation, and the developing aspirations have been responded by the Government.

Furthermore, in this direction, the Ministry of Social Affairs will immediately revise / propose the 2020 budget and ensure a budget is available for the National Commission for Disabilities program in 2021. In addition, preparing the selection and appointment of a commissioner selection committee. It is planned that the elected committee will directly work to select 14 candidates for commissioner openly, to be submitted to the Minister of Social Affairs, and then the Minister of Social Affairs proposes to the President to be determined by the President. Preparation of human resources, secretariat office and infrastructure.

After all the preparations are targeted for completion by the end of 2020, in early 2021 the elected commissioner of National Commission for Disabilities can immediately make a work program, and carry out his work program, and compile various provisions mandated by the Presidential Decree, including forming the necessary working groups. "So it is clear, the task of the National Commission for Disabilities Secretariat is administrative support," said the Minister of Social Affairs.

Questioning the public's response to the role of the Ministry of Social Affairs in the formation of the National Commission for Disabilities, the Ministry of Social Affairs ensures that it is not involved in any of the National Commission for Disabilities functions in carrying out the National Commission for Disabilities’ role.

The Minister of Social Affairs stated, "There is no need to worry about this, because the secretariat is only administrative support and there will be no Ministry of Social Affairs intervention in it". The success of the National Commission for Disabilities, according to the Minister of Social Affairs, will be determined by the performance of the elected commissioners.

The Minister of Social Affairs added that, Law No. 8 of 2106 mandates that coordination at the national level be carried out by the Minister of Social Affairs with the relevant ministries and non-ministerial government agencies.

The Minister, after the formation of the National Commission for Disabilities to carry out concrete advocacy to many parties, for example how can the provisions on workers with disabilities in government and private be realized, there are more progressive efforts to fulfill access rights to public service facilities, and affirmative action to fulfill the basic right of persons with disabilities.