"The work scale in the Social Affairs Ministry is immense and related to the lower-class residents. If the office holder is not a fully-fledged minister, their authority will be restricted," the president stated at the Garuda Palace here on Thursday.
Hence, Saifullah Yusuf's appointment to the social affairs portfolio rather than leaving it to an acting minister would help ensure social policy implementation in the last month of his leadership.
"I believe (the ministerial appointment) will help ease the duty. Although the minister will work only for one and a half months, it is still important," he remarked.
The president, on Wednesday (September 11), appointed Yusuf as social affairs minister in his Onward Indonesia Cabinet, replacing Tri Rismaharini, who resigned to run in the 2024 local elections.
Yusuf, also nicknamed Gus Ipul, earlier served as mayor of Pasuruan in East Java from 2021 until being appointed as cabinet minister. He was the deputy governor of East Java from 2009 to 2019.
After his induction as cabinet minister, Yusuf plans to focus on ensuring a smooth transition of social affairs policies ahead of the incoming presidency of Prabowo Subianto next October.
The minister said he is cognizant of the president's intention to beef up the transition process to ensure the continuity of social policies in the new government.
He also vouched to help continue the current policies and carry out incomplete programs left by his predecessor.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu AJ, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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