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Deputy minister spot opens up as Mahendra jumps to OJK
Deputy Foreign Minister Mahendra Siregar is set to become the new head of the Financial Services Authority (OJK), sparking a race to find his replacement.
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Deputy Foreign Minister Mahendra Siregar (left) greets United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink with a pandemic elbow bump, during the latter's visit to Jakarta on Nov. 30, 2021. Mahendra is soon to leave his deputy ministerial post to become the head of the Financial Services Authority (OJK). (Courtesy of US Embassy in Jakarta/-)
S
easoned technocrat Mahendra Siregar is to vacate his post as deputy foreign minister to become the new head of the Financial Services Authority (OJK), after outbidding others to land yet another job in a versatile career that spans finance, trade, investment and economic diplomacy.
His move would leave a hole in Indonesia’s push to diversify its economic partnerships, which has become standard practice since President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo instructed his envoys to become “investment ambassadors” to promote the country’s potential.
The vacancy sets off a race to find a capable replacement, at a time when the government’s economic team is under pressure to perform and deputy ministerial positions are used as political trading chips to consolidate more power.
In a House of Representatives plenary on Tuesday, Mahendra was one of seven new OJK commissioners confirmed by lawmakers to serve until 2027. He was also chosen to helm the fiscal authority.
Read also: House selects new OJK leadership
Observers believed that he was moving on to a position that better suited his expertise, despite leaving behind an important role that strengthens links between the Foreign Ministry, the Trade Ministry, the Investment Ministry and the Coordinating Maritime and Investment Ministry.
Former deputy foreign minister Dino Patti Djalal, founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), said Mahendra was an “excellent choice” to lead the OJK, given his vast experience in government.
