REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, should not hesitate to reshuffle his cabinet in the first six months of his term if his ministers do not perform well, a political observer said.

"Give the ministers six months' time. If they still perform poorly, Jokowi should have the courage to reshuffle his cabinet. If he doesn't, the people will reshuffle him," Herdi Sahrasad of Paramadina University stated at a discussion titled "The Jokowi Government: Its Problems and Challenges" here on Tuesday (23/12).

According to Sahrasad, the ministers of economic affairs of the Jokowi cabinet are not credible.

The observer noted that the cabinet's economic team often issued conflicting and overlapping statements, which do not reflect well in the market.

"For instance, by raising the prices of subsidized fuels, Jokowi is currently trapped in neoliberalism. His supporters are disappointed (with the fuel price hikes) but seem powerless," he remarked.

Although the oil and gas price hike increased state revenues, it fails to strengthen the rupiah against the U. S. dollar, Sahrasad pointed out.

"This is because private and state debts amount to Rp1,300 trillion and Rp2,000 trillion, respectively. The rupiah comes under pressure as the debts are in dollars," he explained.

Since the downfall of the New Order regime in 1998, only the government of late former president Abdurrahman "Gusdur" Wahid was able to significantly reduce state debts, he said, adding that they rose during the 10-year government of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"Gusdur had his shortcomings, but it was during the term of his government that the economy was at its best because his cabinet had a competent economic team led by Rizal Ramli," he opined.

Therefore, Sahrasad urged Jokowi to not hesitate to reshuffle his cabinet if needed, particularly his economic team.

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