Indonesia's Jokowi announces second Cabinet reshuffle in 4 months
29 April, 2021
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo reshuffled his Cabinet on Wednesday (Apr 28), after parliament approved his intend to reorganise several agencies while creating a fresh investment ministry.
This is his second Cabinet reshuffle in only over four months.
Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, announced that Mr Bahlil Lahadalia will head the newly created Investment Ministry. Mr Lahadalia may be the current head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). He will continue steadily to lead the coordinating board concurrently.
Mr Lahadalia said that unlike the BKPM which is primarily accountable for attracting foreign investors, the new ministry will coordinate both foreign and domestic investments together with improve investment climate at the central, provincial and district degrees of government.
“The president also instructed us never to only focus on (investments) of big businesses but also SMEs. We must establish connections between big businesses and SMEs, the national level players and those in the regions,” Mr Lahadalia said at a press conference following the swearing-in ceremony.
“Our task is never to only raise the economy but ensure economic development is distributed equally."
The president also expanded the duties of Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim, combining the training and culture ministry with the study and technology ministry. Mr Makarim, the founder of GoJek, was officially named as Minister for Education, Culture, Research and Technology.
“Research and technology are something is very near my heart,” Mr Makarim said at the same press conference, adding that the merger of the ministries will benefit universities in Indonesia that previously had to manage separate ministries on issues of education and research.
“I have big hopes (that the new ministry) can truly boost the quality of research and innovation at our universities.”
The now-defunct research and technology ministry once was headed by Bambang Brodjonegoro, who would no longer serve in the Cabinet.
Mr Widodo also formed the National Research and Innovation Agency and appointed Mr Laksana Tri Handoko as its new chief. Mr Handoko, a theoretical physicist, may be the current head of the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI).
Mr Handoko said his agency will give attention to becoming a “coordinator, facilitator and enabler” of research and innovation at various government institutions and private businesses and laboratories.
“We will be working very closely with the Education, Culture, Research and Technology ministry,” he said.
Indonesia’s last Cabinet reshuffle was on Dec 22 after Mr Widodo explained that a number of the ministers had not done enough to fight COVID-19 and were working as if things were normal.
He appointed Mr Budi Gunadi Sadikin as the brand new health minister amid public criticism that Mr Terawan Agus Putranto had failed to handle the pandemic.
The president had also appointed a fresh social affairs minister and a new fisheries minister, after both were embroiled in corruption cases.
In December, Mr Widodo also reshuffled the portfolios for trade, tourism and religious affairs.
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