Jokowi Overhauls Cabinet with Eye on Economy, Security Issues

TODAY

28 July 2016

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, announced a new Cabinet line-up yesterday that returns a reformist to the Finance Ministry and puts a former head of the military in charge of security in a move aimed at reinvigorating the economy and strengthening his political base.

The surprise appointments of Ms Sri Mulyani Indrawati to head the Finance Ministry and former general Wiranto as Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security were part of a wider-than-expected Cabinet reshuffle in which the trade, energy, transport and industry ministers were also replaced.

… “I think the tax amnesty programme will continue as planned. It is central to Mr Widodo’s economic and taxation policy as he hopes to bring in additional revenue of at least S$26 billion into the government’s coffers by the end of this year, so the changing hands at the Finance Ministry would not affect anything,” Dr Alexander Raymond Arifianto, a research fellow with the Indonesia programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies told TODAY.

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