Indonesian President Joko Widodo has announced that 18 Public Service Agencies are to be abolished in an effort to free more resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cabinet Secretary, Pramono Anung (pictured) said that handling COVID-19 and handling the economy had become inseparable.
“We’ve learned from the many countries that have put too much emphasis on health that the economic issues turn into another kind of problem,” Mr Anung said.
“The mandates of affected State Agencies will be returned to the relevant Ministries or taken over by the newly-formed National Economic Recovery (PEN) taskforce or the national COVID-19 task force,” he said.
As an example, he noted that the Ease of Doing Business taskforce, which was established in 2017 under Mr Widodo, would have its duties taken over by the PEN taskforce.
Lead expert at the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff (KSP), Donny Gahral Adian did not rule out the possibility that more Agencies would fall under the axe.
“So far, there are 18 Agencies that are disbanded, but there are other Agencies still under review,” Mr Adian said.
Mr Widodo floated the idea of disbanding State Agencies that were deemed ineffective or had overlapping mandates earlier this month.
He said he would like to see a leaner bureaucracy and that the measure would help the Government rein in its spending.
Shortly after his inauguration in 2014, the President disbanded 10 Agencies, including one tasked with reducing greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation as well as the National Climate Change Council.
Jakarta, 24 July 2020
