Indonesia’s Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, is poised to become the first Indonesian to hold the role of finance minister under three different presidents, according to reporting from Jakarta Globe. She confirmed on Monday (14/10/24,) that President-elect Prabowo Subianto had asked her to continue in her role in the upcoming administration.
Sri Mulyani was one of more than 45 ministerial candidates interviewed by Prabowo at his private residence. After the meeting, she revealed that she would be part of the new cabinet.
“He asked me to serve as the finance minister again,” Sri Mulyani told reporters after the meeting at Prabowo’s residence in South Jakarta.
Sri Mulyani’s discussion with Prabowo lasted longer than those of many other candidates, as they focused extensively on the state budget, says Jakarta Globe.
She noted that it was not the first time Prabowo had discussed next year’s budget with her, adding that “we have had several discussions about the state budget, as my team drafted the 2025 budget during this transition period. It was important for me to understand the priorities of the president-elect and vice president-elect,” Sri Mulyani explained.
She added, “We regularly consulted with each other to discuss strategies for strengthening the Finance Ministry and the state finances to support his programs.”
Jakarta Globe reports that among the topics they discussed were the management of state revenues and expenditures, fund transfers to regional governments, and state investments aimed at maximizing benefits for the public.
Sri Mulyani first became the country’s finance minister in 2005 during Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s presidency, before resigning in 2010 to serve as the managing director of the World Bank.
In July 2016, she was reappointed finance minister by President Jokowi and has since kept the role until today.
Source: Jakarta Globe
