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CEO of Indonesia’s most profitable state bank rejects new post
The move by the SOE Ministry runs contrary to the President's instruction for ministers not to make any strategic policy changes, including management shakeups at state firms.
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BRI president director Suprajarto (center) speaks at a media conference at the BRI head office in Jakarta in this file photo. (JP/Anton Hermansyah)
T
he president director of the country's most profitable state lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Suprajarto, immediately submitted his resignation after the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry announced that he would be appointed president director of state housing lender Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN).
Hours after a BTN extraordinary shareholders meeting decided on his appointment on Thursday, Suprajarto announced that he would not accept the BTN position as he had not been consulted. The move by the SOE Ministry also runs contrary to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s instruction for ministers not to make any strategic policy changes, including management shakeups at state firms.
“I was never consulted about the appointment, let alone invited to any discussion. Therefore, based on the decision of today’s BTN extraordinary shareholders meeting, I cannot accept the decision and I choose to step down in response to the BTN extraordinary shareholders meeting,” Suprajarto wrote in a media statement.
Previous moves by SOE Minister Rini Soemarno to make state firm management changes have been criticized by economists, observers and politicians as being counterproductive to state-run companies’ business performance.
When asked if Suprajarto’s decision had anything to do with his relationship with Rini, he answered: “I have never held a grudge against anyone. I strive to conduct my work professionally.
“I’ll think things through later. The most important thing is that I’m happy, relieved and enjoying [the moment],” he said when asked about his next professional venture, as quoted by Antara from a press briefing Thursday evening.
Calls for more accountable state firm management and fewer shakeups grew stronger as a widespread blackout hit Java cities recently, with public outrage directed at the management of state electricity company PLN being in the spotlight just two days after the SOE Ministry appointed a new acting PLN president director, the third shakeup within four months. (est)
