Solid Cabinet a Necessity

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Rows of seats stand empty during a House of Representatives plenary meeting on Monday (16/9/2019) at the Senayan legislative complex, Jakarta. The legislature passed into law a revision to Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK Law) at the meeting.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The government must strive to resolve the threat of economic recession amid several other problems, including social solidarity and turmoil in Papua, as well as widespread protests over controversial draft bills. A solid and competent Cabinet is necessary to address this challenge.

“Moving forward, the global economy will experience difficult times,” Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) chair Rosan Perkasa Roeslani said on Thursday (3/10/2019).

Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (Gapmmi) chair Adhi S. Lukman said state ministers in the 2019-2024 administration should base their work of implementing the President’s vision on their alertness over the upcoming recession. “A foundational strategy of improving internal coordination must be prioritized with one vision, one coordination,” Adhi said.

Law No. 39/2008 on state ministries gives President Joko Widodo 14 days after inauguration for the 2019-2024 period to form a Cabinet. The President, who will be inaugurated for his second term on 20 October, has reaffirmed that he has finalized his Cabinet plan and its announcement could be made sooner. Some 55 percent of the Cabinet members will be professionals, with the remaining 45 percent hailing from political parties (Kompas, 15/8/2019).

Kurnia Yunita Rahayu

Herlambang Perdana

Considerations

Airlangga University School of Law lecturer Herlambang Perdana said in Surabaya that capacity, track record, performance and public acceptance were among the President’s considerations in choosing his ministers. Public acceptance is linked to public trust on figures deemed capable of pushing for change and will not only resort to political compromises.

Separately, Gadjah Mada University public policy lecturer Gabriel Lele said in Yogyakarta said that he predicted important positions in the Cabinet, such as finance minister and foreign minister, would be filled by professionals. “Ideally, the figures who fill these positions are competent and can boost the president’s political support. They must not be figures that create problems in the Cabinet or political troubles,” he explained.

Apart from economic issues, Gabriel said corruption eradication, social solidarity and resolving conflict in Papua should be other priorities for the incoming Cabinet. “If President Jokowi wishes to be a statesman, human resource development must be one of his main agenda. We need people who are tolerant and have a multicultural perspective,” he said.

National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said human resource development would be a priority in the 2019-2024 National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN). Various programs will be established to support this effort.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Bambang Brodjonegoro

However, infrastructure development will remain a top priority for the government in the next five years. “In the next five years, infrastructure will be established to support the presence of economic hubs, including industrial, tourism, trade and agricultural activities,” Bambang said.

He said the government would also prioritize food and energy security. Disaster mitigation and climate change will also be priorities.

(INA/CAS/LKT)