TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto denied reports that Finance Minister Sri Mulyani will resign from President Joko Widodo's Cabinet. This morning, Sri Mulyani was present at a limited cabinet meeting to discuss entertainment tax today, January 19.

"No (Sri Mulyani is not resigning). Mrs. Ani is my friend," the Golkar Party chairman said when met at the State Palace complex in the limited cabinet meeting.

Rumors that Sri Mulyani will resign from her post started circulating after University of Indonesia (UI) senior economist Faisal Basri claimed that he had heard the news. Faisal made the statement in a discussion entitled '2024 Political Economic Outlook' that was posted to the YouTube account of Progressive Idn on Monday, January 15.

In the discussion, Faisal Basri called to persuade Sri Mulyani, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono, and other ministers to resign from Jokowi's cabinet. Faisal made the appeal because he considered the Jokowi government is performing poorly, mentioning a number of mega projects, such as the capital city relocation and the high-speed train development.

Special Staff to the Minister of Finance, Yustinus Prastowo, also denied the rumor. He posted to X on January 5 saying that Sri Mulyani had never stated that she would resign from her position. "To this date, Mrs. Sri Mulyani continues to carry out her duties in maintaining state finances [with] full responsibility," he wrote.

Word from the Palace

The State Palace stated that President Jokowi's Cabinet remains united amidst the issue of Sri Mulyani's resignation. On Thursday, the President's Special Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana said that all cabinet members are ready to support Jokowi until the end of his term in office, which is this year.

Ari declined to comment when asked if the rumor was deliberately started to give a notion that there are ministers who are ready to resign or are uncomfortable in the government. "You should ask the parties who raised the issue," he said.

DANIEL A. FAJRI

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