President Jokowi Says He Will Abolish 18 Government Agencies Soon

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he will abolish 18 government agencies soon.

The Indonesian president said the abolition of the 18 institutions should lessen the burden on the state budget amid the Covid-19 pandemic. No further details on these affected government offices were given.

Their function and authority will be handed over to the relevant ministries, he added. With ineffective agencies no longer wasting government money, more can be allocated to important things. 

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“If we can divert the budgets to the relevant ministries and directorates, why do we have to use those agencies or commissions again?”

The president hoped that a lean organizational structure in the government will get the job done faster.

In future, a country's global competitiveness will be dependent on its ability to move fast, he said, noting it's no longer about big countries being more powerful than small countries.

“I want the ship to be as simple as possible so that it moves quickly. This will represent the future organization,” he said.

He first brought up the matter during a cabinet meeting on June 18. At that time, the head of state appeared displeased at the business-as-usual mode of the ministers in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. However, at the meeting, he did not specify how many institutions would be removed.

After the cabinet meeting, Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said that his office would review ineffective government agencies.

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Tjahjo said since Jokowi took office in 2014, a total of 24 agencies or commissions had already been abolished. Currently, 96 agencies have been established by the laws, government regulations, or presidential decrees.

(Writer: Ihsanuddin | Editor: Fabian Januarius Kuwado)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/07/13/19300311/jokowi-sebut-18-lembaga-akan-dibubarkan-dalam-waktu-dekat?page=2.