Indonesia’s newly inaugurated President Prabowo Subianto has sworn in the country’s largest Cabinet since 1966, comprising 109 members. This move is part of his pledge to establish a strong government that unites the country’s diverse society and political interests.

Subianto’s Cabinet, dubbed the “Red and White Cabinet” after Indonesia’s flag colors, features politicians from a seven-party coalition that supported his February election victory. Notably, figures allied with his predecessor Joko Widodo’s Cabinet have also been reappointed, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. This move is seen as a political reward to Widodo for his tacit support in the election.

Indrawati, 62, is one of Indonesia’s longest-serving finance ministers, having held the post under three different presidents. She has earned international respect for her reforms of Indonesia’s taxation system and her role in navigating the country through the global financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Cabinet Members:
– Finance Minister: Sri Mulyani Indrawati
– Interior Minister: Tito Karnavian
– Trade Minister: Zulkifli Hasan
– Energy Minister: Bahlil Lahadalia
– State-Owned Enterprises Minister: Erick Thohir

Subianto aims to increase annual economic growth to 8% by the end of his five-year term. His ambitious spending program includes defense spending increases, civil servant salary hikes, and a program to provide 83 million children with free meals.

This Cabinet is the largest since 1966, surpassing his predecessor’s 34 ministers and agency heads. Analysts have expressed concerns that the large Cabinet may bloat the bureaucracy, but Subianto remains committed to his vision of a strong, unified government.