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State secretary plays down reshuffle talk, claims ministers have improved
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tate Secretary Pratikno has downplayed the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle, saying that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's recent fiery rebuke of his ministers had achieved the intended results.
"The Cabinet responded to the warning quickly,” Pratikno said on Monday. “If there’s been progress, why should there be a reshuffle?”
In a video of a June 18 closed-door Cabinet meeting released by the President's press office, Jokowi delivered an uncharacteristically angry speech in which he threatened taking “extraordinary steps”, including a Cabinet reshuffle, if his ministers did not effectively deal with the pandemic and its economic impacts.
Jokowi particularly cited the lack of spending in the health sector and called on all ministries to cut through red tape and accelerate their spending in order to stimulate the economy.
He expressed his disappointment and concerns about healthcare programs and the distribution of social assistance for poor people and those seriously affected by the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also highlighted the lack of a sense of crisis among his aides.
Pratikno said the ministries had responded to Jokowi's warning quickly, which could be seen from their increased spending and the progress of several government programs.
"Now [the situation has] improved and hopefully it will continue to improve. If so, a reshuffle will be unnecessary,” he said. “So, don't make a fuss about a reshuffle anymore because the Cabinet is working well. We should focus on public health problems and economic problems as a result of the pandemic."
This is not the first time Jokowi has used the threat of a reshuffle to spur his Cabinet into action. In February, during a private meeting with social media celebrities and influencers, the President said he would replace Cabinet ministers who failed to adapt and deliver results.
