Zulhas Spends Half His Week in the Field to Verify Government Policy Implementation

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) has revealed that half of his working week is spent conducting field visits. Zulhas believes this approach is necessary to ensure government policies are operational and beneficial to the public.

As an example, Zulhas recently attended a Farmers’ Forum (Rembuk Tani) in Mamuju, West Sulawesi. During the event, he checked on the welfare of local farmers.

“Is the fertiliser supply running smoothly or not?” Zulhas asked the farmers in Mamuju. The attending farmers unanimously responded that the supply was smooth. Zulhas then inquired about unhusked rice. “What is the price of unhusked rice? Is it good?” he asked, to which the farmers replied that it was good.

Zulhas stated that President Prabowo Subianto has stressed that the state must side with farmers, as they are the ones who feed the nation. “President Prabowo’s policy must side with farmers, no bargaining. Farmers are the ones who feed us,” he said.

Zulhas noted that policies must not remain as decisions on paper; they must be implemented. “That is why I spend almost half of my week in the field. Meeting farmers, fishermen, traders, business operators, and the public. Listening directly, checking directly, while ensuring that every policy decided by the government is truly executed,” he explained.

Zulhas remarked that Indonesia is a vast country, making implementation the most decisive task. “What looks good at the central level may not necessarily run the same way on the ground,” he said. “Going down directly, conducting control, evaluation, and cross-checks is not merely a routine. It is a way for the government to stay close to reality and ensure every policy remains aligned with the people’s needs,” he continued.

He concluded that the success of a policy is not measured by how well it is formulated, but by the tangible benefits felt by the community. “Because ultimately, the success of a policy is not measured by how well it is drafted, but by how real the benefits are felt by the public,” he added.