Government to design new Cabinet structure

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.