President to issue online licensing system

Denpasar (Antaranews Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said the government will soon issue an integrated licensing system through "online single submission" to speed up the process of business licensing.

"Around a week to come we will open online single submission. The time is already past when it took weeks to secure trading business license (SIUP) or business registering (TDP) and months for building construction license (IMB)," the president said here on Saturday.

He said with the new online system any bottleneck in the licensing process could be traced from the center to provincial and district administrations.

The system, could detect how the ministries and other government agencies to perform in the center, and provincial and lower district administrations in the regions.

"All could be seen with the system," Jokowi said addressing around 1,000 business leaders in Bali.

The entire licensing systems have to be reformed that the business sector could move fast, be flexible and competitive.

However, he asked the people especially business players to be patient as changing the working culture would take time.

The president also reminded the small business players to be aware of the rapid change of technology under the fourth industrial revolution.

The changes began from digitalization of marketing and trade, internet and e-payment system.

"All including small and medium enterprises (UMKMs) have to be aware of the rapid changes that have to be followed, like it not . Otherwise they would be left behind," he said.

The president is in Bali on a two-day working visit with agenda including to socialize a cut in income tax from 1 percent to 0.5 percent on UMKMs, to give general lecture at the Indonesia Arts Institute (ISI) of Denpasar and to set a parade off to mark the start of the 40th Bali Arts Party in Renon, Denpasar.

Accompanying the President included the First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo,Coordinating Minister for Economy Darmin Nasution, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Anak Agung Gde Ngurah Puspayoga and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung. (WDY)