First Day On Duty Zulhas Direct Market Inspection, PKS: Ineffective, All National Data Available

Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan (Photo via Ministry of Trade)

JAKARTA - Zulkifli Hasan paid a working visit to Cibubur Market, East Jakarta, on his first day after being sworn in by President Joko Widodo as Minister of Trade. A member of the House of Representatives from the PKS faction Mulyanto considered the market visit ineffective if the new trade minister wanted to solve the problem of increasingly expensive food. , especially related to cooking oil. "I don't think it is effective. Updated national data on strategic commodities is available at the National PIHPS," said Mulyanto to VOI, Thursday, June 16. According to him, market inspections have also been practiced by the old Minister of Trade, namely M Lutfi. So, said Mulyanto, Zulkifli Hasan is like a minister who has just learned about cooking oil. "The old minister of trade is the same way. This reflects that the minister has just learned about cooking oil," he said. However, the deputy chairman of the PKS faction respected Zulkifli Hasan's first choice of assignment. Mulyanto considered that maybe the General Chair of PAN was studying problems in the trade sector so that it would appear that it was working well. "It's a way to learn while building an image of working in earnest," said Mulyanto.

Regarding coordination with the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, considering that President Jokowi was also tasked with handling cooking oil, Mulyanto declined to comment further.

The Banten electoral district legislator then highlighted the issue of a cabinet reshuffle, which was said to accommodate parties supporting the government, not improving performance. He also said the change of ministers was just a year-end ceremony in an environment of freedom.

"This is about the coalition party cabinet, not the professional cabinet. So in the midst of the protracted migraine problem, this reshuffel is just a year-end party, ceremonial so that all parties are happy but does not solve the substance of the problem. It is only a matter of power politics, not development politics," concluded Mulyanto.