Cabinet's Performance Improves, Reshuffle Now Irrelevant: Palace

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State Secretary Pratikno said the performance of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet ministers had progressed significantly following President Jokowi’s angry speech, thus the option to reshuffle the cabinet was no longer relevant.

“If the progress is good, what is the point of a reshuffle? That’s the point. Of course with this good progress, the issue of reshuffle is irrelevant,” said Pratikno at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Monday, July 6.

Pratikno elaborated that in a relatively short time the cabinet produced remarkable progress after Jokowi voiced strong reprimands at a cabinet plenary meeting on June 18, 2020, over the low absorption of the health budget and the sluggish distribution of social assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The issues, he added, had begun to be resolved after the president’s warning. “This is evident from the increase in budget absorption and programs that have been carried out. It means that the reprimands had a significant meaning,” Pratikno remarked.

He hoped the positive performance could be maintained so there would not be a cabinet reshuffle. Therefore, the issue should not be discussed anymore as the government would remain focused on containing the COVID-19, he said.

“So don’t make a fuss about a reshuffle anymore because the cabinet shows good progress. We focus on resolving health and economic problems that were part of the extraordinary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic ,” Pratikno underlined.

Read: Expert Dares President Jokowi to Reshuffle Luhut Pandjaitan

EGI ADYATAMA