WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - US President Donald Trump has announced the creation of the White House Office of American Innovation (OAI), which is empowered to overhaul the federal government with input from the private sector.
Trump has also appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is a senior White House adviser, as its head.
Closer to Trump than any other adviser, 35 year-old Kushner is believed to have decisive influence on his father-in-law.
To shift his focus from business to White House, Kushner resigned as CEO of Kushner Companies and publisher of the New York Observer.
The appointment comes a week after his wife and Trump's powerful daughter Ivanka was allocated an office on the West Wing of the White House.
Ivanka's role will be to serve as the president's 'eyes and ears' while providing broad-ranging advice.
The White House said the OAI will make recommendations to the President on policies and plans that improve Government operations and services, improve the quality of life for Americans now and in the future, and spur job creation. These recommendations will be developed in collaboration with career staff along with private-sector and other external thought leaders.
Trump said the White House Office of American Innovation will develop innovative solutions to many problems the country faces.
'The Office of American Innovation will bring a creative and strategic approach to many critical issues and intractable problems that affect Americans' quality of life,' according to Kushner.
Kushner will be assisted by additional senior White House staff including Assistant to the President for Economic Policy Gary Cohn, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Andrew Bremberg, Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives Chris Liddell, Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental and Technology Initiatives Reed Cordish, and Senior Counselor to the President for Economic Initiatives Dina Powell.
They have already hosted listening and working sessions with more than 100 private-sector CEOs, other external thought leaders, and senior Government officials. OAI will create task forces to focus on initiatives such as modernizing Government services and information technology, improving services to veterans, implementing regulatory and process reforms, and creating manufacturing jobs.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX