More ministries, more problems? Indonesia's Prabowo faces business, corruption risks if cabinet is expanded

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Indonesia Notícia

Prabowo Subianto

As the incoming president approaches parties to bulk out his coalition, Indonesia deliberates raising the limit on the number of ministries. But some experts say a focus on partners’ needs could come at the country’s expense.

Indonesian Defence Minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Apr 3, 2024. JAKARTA: Analysts have warned tough times could be ahead for Indonesia’s economy and international investment climate as the country’s next president,

But experts speaking to CNA warned that complicated bureaucracy, increased scope for corruption and inefficiency risk becoming hallmarks of Mr Prabowo’s first term, due to the clashing opinions and increased expenditure that come with more ministries. Indonesia’s PDI-P objects to President-elect Prabowo's bigger Cabinet plan which critics say is unnecessaryIn the latest World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, Indonesia ranked 73rd out of 190 countries surveyed in 2020. In the study, the archipelago ranked poorly compared to other countries in areas like ease of starting a business, enforcing a contract, trading across borders and dealing with construction permits.

This year, Indonesia is expected to spend 1,090 trillion rupiah , nearly a third of the Southeast Asian nation’s total expenditure, to cover the operational expenses of its 34 ministries as well as salaries and benefits for about 4.2 million civil servants.“These ministers have to get paid, not to mention the benefits they will receive. If there are vice ministers then we need to pay for their salaries and benefits too.

The free lunch initiative has been the centrepiece of Mr Prabowo’s nationwide campaigning prior to the Feb 14 presidential election. Mr Prabowo won 59 per cent of the votes and has been officially declared the winner of the election by Indonesia's General Elections Commission. At the February election, Mr Prabowo was supported by a coalition of nine political parties, four of which managed to secure seats in the national parliament: Golkar, the Great Indonesia Movement Party , National Mandate Party and the Democratic Party.

So far, only the PDI-P has expressed its rejection of the possible cabinet expansion. The party only represents 19 per cent of the seats in the current parliament, meaning there might be little resistance for this law revision to be enacted. During his 10-year tenure, outgoing president Joko Widodo had six of his cabinet members arrested for corruption. The latest is former agriculture minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo who is now on trial for extorting his subordinates and receiving gratification worth a total of 44.5 billion rupiah.

“It will be up to the president to decide how many ministers he wishes to have. Not just the incoming president but all future ones as well,” Gerindra politician, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad told reporters on Monday.Analysts said that Prabowo must put the country’s needs ahead of his coalition partners’ by creating a leaner cabinet instead of expanding it and appointing technocrats to fill strategic ministerial posts.

 

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