Tri Indah Oktavianti, Jakarta – A new regulation signed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has created a new position of undersecretary responsible for performing intelligence work related to the state apparatus within the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) structure.
Enacted on July 20, Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 79/2020 on BIN replaced a previous regulation issued in 2012 on a similar matter.
According to Article 28 of the new regulation, the undersecretary for the "Apparatus Security Intelligence" department, will be responsible and answer directly to the BIN chief.
"[The undersecretary] will draft regulations and implementations for activities and/or the operation conducted by the Apparatus Security Intelligence," the article read.
The regulation also further stipulates the functions of the undersecretary, who will be responsible for drafting, implementing, coordinating and maintaining cooperation in daily operations in the department. The undersecretary will also be responsible for overseeing the screening and clearance of candidates for state positions.
"[The undersecretary] will give advice and recommendations on government security," the regulation states.
It also stipulates that the new undersecretary will be given the status of a senior official equal to a BIN deputy chief, the agency's secretary general and its inspector general.
Earlier this month, Jokowi also issued a regulation stipulating that BIN was under the direct supervision of the President, arguing that the results of the agency's work were directly needed by the country's executive. With the new regulation, BIN is no longer placed under the supervision of the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister.
The President in 2017 also established an undersecretary for the Cyber Intelligence Division in the spy agency through the issuance of Presidential Regulation No. 73/2017.