Restrict speeches to just seven minutes, says Widodo

JAKARTA: “Less talk, more action.”

That’s the gist of a circular President Joko Widodo of Indonesia has circulated to people holding public office, instructing them to restrict their speeches at events and press conferences to just seven minutes.

“We should not talk a lot because there is much work to be done” seems to be the principle behind Joko’s issuing the circular to ministers, heads of department, the Attorney-General’s Office, the Chief of the Armed Forces and the Chief of Police.

Local media quoted the circular as saying that ministers could only speak for up to seven minutes and the content must be akin to a seven-minute talk.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung was quoted as saying that Joko did not like longwinded speeches and that each brief speech should convey the intended message only.

“At events attended by President Joko Widodo, ministers or other leaders should only report what they intend to convey and not lecture before the President,” he said.

Pramono said they should deliver in the seven minutes what they intended to convey or the activity they wanted to implement.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto was quoted as saying that he most welcomed the directive because he also felt that the speeches of ministers and heads of department should be concise.

He said that without such a restriction on time, a minister might speak even longer than the President and an event could drag on for hours. — Bernama