Prabowo's Cabinet: Is bigger really better for Indonesia?

Some say it offers more flexibility to tackle national issues, others warn of inefficiencies

- Hariz Baharudin

The stage is set for President-elect Prabowo Subianto's plan to restructure Indonesia's government following recent legal revisions that removed restrictions on the number of ministries in the Cabinet.

And with signs pointing to Mr Prabowo's intentions to expand the current 34 ministries to a record 44 - the highest in the nation's recent history - the question remains: Is bigger really better?

While some say that more ministries might offer greater flexibility to tackle emerging national challenges, critics argue that bureaucratic bloat could lead to inefficiencies and escalate government spending without necessarily boosting performance in South-east Asia's most populous country.

On Sept 19, lawmakers passed revisions to the law that eliminated the previous limit of 34 ministries, effectively allowing Mr Prabowo to set up new ministries when he takes over from President Joko Widodo in October.

Speaking about the changes, Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Abdullah Azwar Anas told lawmakers that day that allowing for more ministers will "build an effective and efficient system".

He added that the move will give the president "flexibility to form ministries in line with national interests".

This move came after at least two senior politicians from the incoming president's coalition said earlier in September that Mr Prabowo could increase the number of ministries to 44.