Indonesian leader reshuffles Cabinet amid rising food prices

By NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo has announced a Cabinet reshuffle, replacing key economic ministers amid a national cooking oil shortage and rising food prices. Zulkifli Hasan, the chairman of a political party that joined the ruling coalition last year, was tapped as Indonesia’s new trade minister on Wednesday. Hasan held ministerial positions in previous governments and vowed to tackle the cooking oil shortage, making it available “anywhere at an affordable price.” A cooking oil crisis that was initially triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war shook up both domestic politics and the global supply chain after the government in April banned all exports of crude palm oil, a key ingredient in cooking oils, amid student protests against skyrocketing food prices.