Pertamina reshuffle to be announced end of January

The government has delayed the announcement of a reshuffle within state oil and gas company Pertamina, pending screening of the candidates by an evaluation team and presidential approval.

State SOE Minister Mustafa Abubakar said Friday the evaluation by a team comprising himself, the energy minister, the finance minister and the chief economics minister was still underway.

“We expect the process to finish in the third week of January or at the end of the month at the latest,” Mustafa told Antara state news agency. Previously Mustafa had said Pertamina’s new board of directors would be installed in the second week of the month.

He said the government would retain Pertamina president director Karen Agustiawan, but remove the vice president director post currently held by Omar S. Anwar.

Speculation was rife that the reshuffle would be unveiled on Thursday but had been postponed. Mustafa, however, denied the rumor.

“All the candidates have been interviewed, but there is still room for change,” he said.

The Pertamina reshuffle will follow the changing of the guard at the state power monopoly PLN.