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Bahlil appointed acting energy minister
The current investment minister will temporarily take over the duties of Arifin Tasrif, who is recovering from COVID-19.
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Acting Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia (left) attends a meeting with Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry officials on Friday. (Investment Ministry/Investment Ministry)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has appointed Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia as acting energy and mineral resources minister as Arifin Tasrif, who holds the position under normal circumstances, recovers from COVID-19.
“Minister [Arifin] is in good condition and is currently in self-isolation. [He is expected] to return to work next week,” energy ministry spokesman Agung Pribadi said on Friday.
The Investment Ministry said Bahlil and top energy ministry officials had met on Friday to discuss the role.
Bahlil was born in Banda, Maluku, and grew up in Papua. He headed the Association of Young Indonesian Businesspeople (Hipmi) from 2015 to 2019 and led trade delegations for young entrepreneurs to Japan in 2016 and Europe in 2018.
He owns 10 companies under PT Rifa Capital and joined President Jokowi’s Cabinet as investment minister in 2019.
This is the second time the Jokowi administration has appointed a temporary energy minister. Then-coordinating maritime affairs minister Luhut Pandjaitan was appointed interim energy minister in August 2016 after the government dismissed Arcandra Tahar over a citizenship controversy.
