Following the issuance of Financial Service Authority (?OJK?) Regulation No. 13/POJK.03/2017 on the Utilization of Services Offered by Public Accountants and Public Accountants? Offices During Financial Service Activities, the OJK has now finally issued Financial Services Authority Circular Letter No. 36/SEOJK.03/2017 on Procedures for the Utilization of Services Offered by Public Accountants and Public Accountants? Offices During Financial-Service Activities. In essence, this circular sets out a number of technical guidelines to be observed by financial institutions during the utilization of annual-financial-auditing services offered by accountants and/or public accounting firms.

The House of Representatives has finally passed the Bill on Architects, with the objective of extending legal protection not only to architects but also to their clients. The Bill consists of 45 articles which cover the following matters: scope of architect?s services, registrations and licenses, foreign architects, the rights and obligations of architects, the rights and obligations of architects? service users, professional architects? organizations, architects? development and administrative sanctions.

In order to clarify matters pertaining to the imposition of administrative sanctions upon notaries, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights has issued Regulation No. 61 of 2016 on Procedures for the Imposition of Administrative Sanctions upon Notaries. This regulation essentially addresses two important matters, namely the types of administrative sanctions that may be imposed upon notaries, as well as the procedures involved in the imposition of said sanctions.

In a bid to improve the processes involved in the appointment, transfer, termination and extension of terms of office for notaries through the online application system, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights has issued Regulation No. 62 of 2016 on the Amendment to Ministry of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 25 of 2014 on Requirements and Procedures for the Appointment, Transfer, Termination and Extension of Terms of Office for Notaries. This edition of ILB will address several matters, including the new supporting documents which are required during the notary appointment process, new procedures for the appointment of notaries, and the newly established AHU Online Application system.

As part of the government?s efforts to enhance the general ease of doing business within Indonesia, The Ministry of Law and Human Rights has issued Regulation No. 2 of 2017 on the Amendment to Ministry of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 11 of 2016 on Guidelines for the Determination of Fees for Receivers and Administrators. This new regulation redefines fee amounts for any administrators and receivers who are responsible for the management of debtors? assets during bankruptcies or during postponement-of-debt-payment trials.

As an integral part of last year?s 12th economic-policy package, the government is currently focusing its energies upon enhancing the ?ease-of-doing-business? ranking for the country?s small and medium-sized companies. One of the new measures introduced involves reducing the various costs required for the establishment of micro-, small- and medium-scale enterprises (UMKM). These matters have been addressed through the issuance of Ministry of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 3 of 2017 on Legal-Service Fees for Notaries for the Establishment of Limited-Liability Companies by Micro-, Small- and Medium-Scale Enterprises. This new regulation sets out a number of uniform fees which can be imposed by notaries for the provision of certain legal services relating to the establishment of limited-liability companies by UMKMs.

The Ministry of Law and Human Rights (?Ministry?) has just issued Regulation No. 27 of 2016 on the Distribution and Determination of Work-Area Categories for Public-Notary Professionals, which updates a number of regulations for notaries working within regions/cities, as well as work-area categories for public notaries. This regulation has been issued in response to the country?s growing population and economy, and also reflects an increasing public awareness of public-notary services. The emergence of new regencies and cities across Indonesia has also been a factor and should eventually result in a need for a greater number of public notaries throughout the country.

The 2016 Regulation redefines the amounts and the procedures for determining fees for the receivers and administrators responsible for the management of debtors? assets during bankruptcy or the postponement of a debt-payment trial.

The Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan - ?OJK?) has issued Regulation No. 16/POJK.04/2015 (?2015 Regulation?) on Capital-Market Sharia Experts. The 2015 Regulation is intended to regulate and provide a legal basis for sharia experts for the capital market (Ahli Syariah Pasar Modal ? ?ASPM?).

Just days after the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court issued Letter No. 73/KMA/HK.01/IX/2015 on Advocate Oaths (?2015 Letter?) in a bid to resolve the uncertainty currently engulfing the bar association, the Constitutional Court has also rendered Decisions No. 112/PUU-XII/2014 and 36/PUU-XIII/2015 (?Decision?), which have the same objective in mind.