The government's power to revoke licences was widely acknowledged as a major obstacle to freedom of the press in Indonesia. Although there was no official censorship, publishers frequently had to suppress or alter news and exercise self-censorship in order to avoid censure. Yunus Yosfiah has honoured his word by easing restrictions and simplifying licensing procedures for the press, eliminating all fees to obtain licences, deregulating radio news broadcasting, easing controls on the private television stations, and pledging that the state-run television network TVRI will become more independent and less prone to government interference. Thus, the Minister believes that freedom of the press is essential for the nurturing of democracy in Indonesia, and that the quality of the national press will improve with increased competition. Ten months after these profound changes the Minister of Information has not changed his mind on the matter.
Some legislators are critical of the press for being too free, too liberal in their reports.
Now its solo voice is merely part of a chorus. The more liberal attitude towards the press has also manifested itself in the book publishing world, though of course it is just as exposed to the economic crisis, and in a sense even more so, because of the higher cost of books. Production costs have risen while peoples' buying power has plummeted. Books of this nature and on the topic of reform sell well, particularly now that they can be sold openly in bookshops. But it is still a challenge for publishers to survive in the tough economic circumstances that beset Indonesia at present.