Government to design new Cabinet structure
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The government is designing a new structure for the Cabinet, Presidential Office and the planned National Defense Council and National Economic Council.
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Friday that under the new structure, at least two ministries and several government agencies would be placed under different coordinating ministers.
"For example, the Ministry of Tourism, currently under the people's welfare coordinating minister, will be placed under the coordinating minister for the economy," he said.
The Office of the State Minister for Research and Technology, meanwhile, will fall under the coordinating minister for people's welfare, as the state minister's office deals with similar areas as the Ministry of National Education, Yusril said.
He said his office was also drawing up job descriptions for the coordinating ministries, and ministries with and without portfolios under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government.
"Each coordinating ministry has the authority to coordinate, but each minister can report directly to the President and does not have the obligation to submit a regular report to the coordinating ministers," Yusril said.
In the past two administrations of former presidents Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri, the position of coordinating minister was very important, especially in the decision-making process.
After the Bali terror attack in 2002 that killed 202 people, the coordinating minister for political and security affairs was given the authority to take immediate action against terrorists, as regulated in Presidential Decree No. 4/2002.
Yusril further said that under the new structure, his office would oversee the offices of the Cabinet secretary and the military secretary, as well as the presidential and vice presidential secretaries.
"Only the Cabinet secretary will have direct coordination with the President, while the rest will be under my authority," Yusril said.
Regarding plans to establish a National Defense Council (DPN) and a National Economic Council (DEN), Yusril said discussions were underway on the matter.
The planned DPN, which would be led by the President, will be authorized to make decisions on defense issues, he said.
The state secretary said the DEN, meanwhile, would serve as the President's think tank on economic policies.
The council will not, however, be under the leadership of the President, he added.
"We will soon finish designing the new structure this month, and next week's Cabinet meeting will be on this new arrangement for the Cabinet and presidential office," Yusril said.