Jokowi's Reshuffle Threat Spurs Ministers Into Action: Moeldoko

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JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Cabinet members' work performance has taken a turn for the better shortly after a meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), where he mentioned cabinet reshuffle as among options to expedite plans in response to the Covid-19 crisis, said Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko.

Moeldoko said this welcome development followed the June 18 cabinet meeting where Jokowi expressed his discontent with how cabinet ministers have responded to the crisis.

Read also: Covid-19: Jokowi Displeasure at Non-Performing Ministers May Lead to Cabinet Reshuffle

“I will prepare for the steps [to address the crisis]. I will do any extraordinary step for our 267 million people, for our country,” Jokowi said at the June 18 meeting.

“The step could the dissolution of [government] institutions. It could be a cabinet reshuffle. Many things have crossed my mind,” he said.

Since then, Moeldoko believes that cabinet ministers are moving faster to achieve the targets set forth by Jokowi.

“Thank God there’s been significant development after yesterday’s beating. They’re enthusiastic. Previously they were working at a speed of 10, but now they’re working at a speed of 100,” said Moeldoko during a virtual discussion on July 2.

They have begun reviewing their own work performance, added Moeldoko.

Read also: Surabaya's Risma Meets with Key Medical Staff to Curb Covid-19 Chain of Transmission

Cabinet ministers did not attempt to find an excuse or justification and instead focused on improving their individual performances.

“It’s more that they each spent time to introspect. Each one assessed their own performance. They didn’t try to defend themselves nor try to find an excuse,” said Moeldoko.

“What the cabinet ministers did was to prove their internal systems and methods. It was about how they can find new breakthroughs in order for everything to run effectively and efficiently. That’s what President Jokowi truly wanted,” said Moeldoko.

In Jokowi’s speech that was aired on the Indonesian Secretariat’s YouTube channel, he explained the extraordinary steps he wanted to see.

Read also: East Java Governor Forms Covid-19 Hunter Joint Team to Cut Transmission Rate

Among them was the issuance of certain policies or regulations.

To address the Covid-19 crisis, Jokowi stressed the need for cabinet ministers to react in a different way than they would under normal circumstances.

Cabinet ministers were encouraged to get innovative to address the crisis and to think on their feet.

An example of a crisis management response by Jokowi was to realize more of the State Budget allocated for the healthcare sector.

Only 1.53 percent of the healthcare budget allocation has been realized.

President Jokowi also brought up the topic of social assistance as the target has not reached 100 percent.

(Writer: Rakhmat Nur Hakim | Editor: Kristian Erdianto) 

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/07/02/23390751/moeldoko-kinerja-menteri-meningkat-signifikan-setelah-dicambuk