Jakarta, Oct 28 (Antara) - While some lauded President Joko Widodo's
'Working Cabinet' lineup, others criticized it, saying the economic
ministers in the cabinet do not have the proper backgrounds or reflected
vested political interests.
Thus, the working cabinet of President Joko Widodo, better known as
Jokowi, is not perfect, as some ministers are appointed not based on
their backgrounds. There are fears that it will cause the failure of the
economic team in bringing to reality Jokowi's plan to boost the
country's economic growth to double-digits.
Political observer Ubedilah Badrun of Jakarta State University (UNJ)
made this statement, saying he believed that several ministers were
appointed to ministries who were unqualified.
"The cabinet is not perfect because some ministers were selected for
positions not in accordance with their fields. Maritime Minister Susi
Pujiastuti, for example, has no background in the maritime sector,"
Badrun said on Monday.
On Monday (October 27), President Jokowi installed 34 cabinet
ministers, including 14 professionals from political parties and 20
non-political professionals. Four of them are coordinating ministers.
According to political observer Enny Sri Hartarti, the appointment of
the economic ministers from elite political circles in the working
cabinet reflects vested political interests in their selection. They
have been assigned ministerial posts that are important for Indonesia's
economic development, Enny stated, citing Saleh Husin, who is a
politician of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), but was named
industry minister.
Enny's colleague, observer Ubedilah Badrun of Jakarta State University,
pointed to the appointment of Environment and Forestry Minister Siti
Nurbaya, who has no background in that sector.
Further, several ministers were appointed, despite being marked red by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Badrun also noted that ministers with alleged problematic backgrounds
who were appointed to posts out of their element would have difficulty
carrying out their tasks.
"To mask their weaknesses, they have to strive hard and create a
perfect system of work," Badrun remarked. The political observer also
pointed out that an ideal cabinet was one with ministers appointed in
accordance with their respective backgrounds, which would ensure maximal
productivity and success.
Therefore, Enny Sri Hartarti is convinced economic ministers in the
working cabinet were appointed due to political interests.
"For example, Industry Minister Saleh Husin is better known as a
politician. The ministry needs people skilled in drafting regulations
for industrial downstream development programs. Even though he owns a
business firm, that is not enough," noted Enny, who is the Executive
Director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance
(Indef).
She added that the industrial sector, which is expected to see
double-digit growth, could not be led by a politician who lacked
bureaucratic experience.
Furthermore, Enny fears an impending conflict of interest, since
Industry Minister Saleh Husin is a politician from the People's
Conscience Party.
"We are concerned that this may lead to a conflict of interest because
he is a businessman-turned-politician," she noted.
Among the other appointments Enny believes were made based upon
political interests is the ministerial post for state-owned enterprises
(BUMN), a position that was granted to Rini Soemarno. Rini was the chief
of Jokowi's Transition Team and also a cadre of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
"Apart from being the industry minister during the government of
Megawati Soekarnoputri and the director of a number of corporations,
Rini Soemarno is the former chief of the (President Jokowi's) Transition
Team, which indicates a political interest in her appointment,"
Enny opined.
She further argued that the BUMN Ministry required a head that was not
only clean, but also had a clear vision of how to handle and develop
state-owned companies.
Even the backgrounds of businessmen, if appointed ministers in the
economic team, should match the fields the ministries are handling.
According
to Riau-based economist Viator Butar Butar, businesspeople are not
well-suited to hold ministries in the economic fields, because their
approaches are often based on output targets.
"Businessmen are generally output-oriented and seldom pay attention to
the process. If appointed to ministerial posts, they may violate
regulations and bureaucratic principles for the sake of increasing
outputs," he stated.
Butar Butar further questioned whether ministers with business
backgrounds would sell all of the nation¿s economic assets. "Or could it
be that the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla government will justify all means
to achieve the production targets?" he asked.
The economist also expressed doubts about whether the cabinet lineup
served as a signal for the new leaders, Jokowi and Kalla, to streamline
bureaucratic regulations. "Let's wait and watch," he added.
He stated: "What I am concerned about is the macroeconomic concepts of
the economic ministers, particularly those of Coordinating Economic
Minister Sofyan Djalil and the Minister for National
Development Planning/the Head of the National Development Planning
Agency (Bappenas) Andrinof Chaniago," he noted, adding that the former
minister had a legal background, while the Bappenas head was a lecturer.
Also, Enny Sri Hartarti expressed doubts about the economic ministers,
including State-owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno.
So far, the problem with state-owned companies has been that they have
only served as milch cows, which lead to their performing inefficiently.
The Indef executive director was also of the opinion that the
capability of other economic ministers, including Cooperatives and Small
Business Minister AANG Puspayoga, Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri and
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, was unclear.
"Although Jokowi has explained the track records of the ministers
during the announcement of their appointments, I don't think they are
all well- suited to their posts. Indeed, there are many professionals,
but their appointment seems forced in differing fields. Rachmat Gobel,
for example, is appropriate for the post of the industrial minister, but
was named trade minister instead," she remarked.
With regard to this, economic analyst Butar Butar also wondered how
the ministers would face the increasingly complex global economic
problems that pressure the national economy. "How will they help in
development planning?" he asked.
He also expressed concern that the finance minister would be trapped
among the business practitioners appointed to the financial ministries.
"To be frank, I am disappointed with Jokowi and Kalla for their choice
of economic ministers. I am not convinced that we can rise to become a
giant force in the global economy with the current composition of the
ministry," he stressed.***2***
(T.A014/INE/B003)
(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 28-10-2014 20:50: |
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