Ministry Studies Jokowi's Plan to Abolish State Institutions

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reportedly planned to dissolve 18 state institutions. The Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said the list of institutions to be dismissed will be submitted soon to State Secretariat Minister Pratikno to be forwarded to the state head.

“The list is ready, and we will report it to the State Secretariat minister,” said Tjahjo via a short text to Tempo on Tuesday, July 14.

As of date, Indonesia has a total of 98 non-structural institutions established through the law, six institutions via government regulation (Perpres), and 21 institutions through presidential decree or regulation (Kepres).

Tjahjo said that national institutions or commissions that were formed via presidential regulation will be easier to be dismissed while removing that of established via law will be harder since it requires an agreement of the House of Representatives (DPR).

“There should be deliberation with the DPR because the DPR has legislative rights,” the minister added.

President Jokowi previously announced his plan to remove a number of state institutions for the sake of budget efficiency. The slimmer the structure of his administration, he argued, the larger budget the country will save.

Besides, he elaborated, a country with a lean organization system can move faster in the age of competition. Speed has become the main factor in this current challenge.

“I want the boat to be as simple as possible so it will move swiftly. [The national] organization will later be like that,” said Jokowi before reporters at Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, on Monday, July 13, 2020.

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DEWI NURITA | EGI ADYATAMA