INSTRUMEN EKONOMI ATAU PRIVATISASI PENGELOLAAN LINGKUNGAN? KOMENTAR ATAS RUU JASA LINGKUNGAN

Abstract

AbstrakIndonesia 's Regional Representatives Board is planning to submit a Bill onenvironmental services. The Bill proposes the establishment of a newinstitution in managing environmental service fund, which is collectedthrough a user-charge system. This new institution is expected to be anindependent Commission of Environmental Funds Management, of whichcommissioners are responsible only to the President. The author finds thatthe spirit of the Bill has nothing to do with the needs to implement economicinstruments in terms of user charge. Instead, the Bill stems from the needs toprivatize public goods such as environmental services. The spirit can be seenin the forms of reference to Hardin's "the Tragedy of the Commons ", inwhich public goods are considered a form of inefficiency in the allocation ofresources that will eventually lead to the overexploitation of the goods. Inaddition, the spirit of privatization can also be seen in the Bill's proposal tohand over the tasks of the Commission, which include planning, execution,and monitoring, to private entities. The author argues that, with such spiritof privatization in the management of natural resources, the Bill is actuallyinconstitutional, and hence, should be rejected.