Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, sacking the trade minister following a series of policy reversals on palm oil exports.

Muhammad Lutfi, the replaced minister, oversaw a flip-flop on policies to contain a surge in domestic cooking oil prices, which included a ban on palm oil shipments from the world's biggest exporter.

The government imposed an export ban on crude and refined palm oil products on April 28, due to a domestic cooking oil shortage. 

The ban sent shock waves through global markets and led to a series of arrests for alleged corruption. It was lifted on May 23.

Zulkifli Hasan, the newly-appointed trade minister, on Wednesday expressed confidence to immediately solve ongoing issues of the distribution and control of prices of cooking oil. 

(Cover: Indonesian President Joko Widodo (C) gestures during a joint press conference at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, June 15, 2022. /CFP)