Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has once again called on his Cabinet to accelerate and streamline bureaucratic procedures in mitigating the overarching impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, sooner rather than later.

Amid the mounting number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Jokowi has urged his ministers to dispense with conventional thinking and come to terms with the gravity of the health emergency.

"During a crisis, we must work harder. Don't work as if it was business as usual. Work harder and faster. That's what I want in the current situation," he said on Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta.

"Ministerial regulations, which normally take two weeks to complete, should now be issued in a day. Government regulations, which normally take one month to complete, should now be issued within two days. That's what I want," he stressed.

The President also advised state officials to use "smart shortcuts" in place of the established procedures, pointing out that the dire state of current affairs called for "extraordinary" measures.

"We need to switch to extraordinary channels [and] shift from complex methods to quick and simple [solutions]," he said.

Jokowi made a similar call last month, urging all ministries to cut the red tape and quickly disburse funds to stimulate the economy.

He also made a veiled threat, saying that he was prepared to take extraordinary political measures to address the current crisis, including reshuffling the Cabinet.

Indonesia recorded 68,079 confirmed cases and 3,359 COVID-19 deaths as of Wednesday.

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/07/09/work-faster-think-smarter-jokowi-tells-cabinet.html