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Prabowo’s plan to include religious groups in Danantara gets mixed reactions
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The facade of the building housing sovereign wealth fund Danantara in Jakarta is pictured on Feb. 24, after it was launched by President Prabowo Subianto. The President wants to tap into the fund's assets of more than US$900 billion to boost Indonesia’s growth, despite experts' concern about the fund’s governance.
(AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
A
plan floated by President Prabowo Subianto to place representatives of religious organizations on the advisory board of the newly launched sovereign wealth fund Danantara has garnered mixed reactions, with analysts warning it could be an attempt to dampen public criticism of the controversial fund.
Prabowo last week launched Danantara, a multibillion-dollar fund that serves as both an investment vehicle and a holding company for all state-owned enterprises, representing a major part of the government’s efforts to achieve its ambitious growth targets.
Prior to the fund’s launch, the President said he was open to having leaders of the country’s religious organizations and former presidents serve on the advisory board of Danantara, which will manage about US$900 billion in assets.
The Indonesian Bishop’s Conference (KWI) responded with caution, with executive secretary Paulus Christian Siswantoko saying the group had not made any decision on whether it would join the advisory board if it was officially invited.
While Prabowo had specifically mentioned the KWI as a possible institution to be represented on Danatara’s advisory board, Siswantoko told The Jakarta Post there had not been any discussion with the government about the proposal.
Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) chairman Jacklevyn Fritz Manuputty welcomed Prabowo’s idea but also noted that the PGI, “as a religious institution, does not have the competence to take part in the oversight of Danantara”.
He said the PGI would be “willing to recommend figures with expertise from the Christian community only if requested” by the government and that the people in question would not act as representatives of the group.
