"I will do my best to further promote the Indonesian development agenda by providing better services for the less fortunate and to ensure that the people are able to benefit from a developing economy," Indrawati said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Newly appointed Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati expressed readiness to continue the governments development programs to offer services to the needy and the public, in general.

"I will do my best to further promote the Indonesian development agenda by providing better services for the less fortunate and to ensure that the people are able to benefit from a developing economy," Indrawati noted in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Indrawati admitted that being given the opportunity to return to the post of finance minister is a great honor since it would enable her to serve the current government. Indrawati said she is ready to continue the reform program that has been running well.

The new finance minister also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to build her career for six years at the World Bank, which remains committed to eradicating poverty and sharing prosperity.

Hence, Indrawati is prepared to cooperate with the World Bank and other multilateral institutions to face various challenges and solve several development problems.

"Although multilateral institutions are considered less popular in the world, yet their presence is still necessary. I will continue to remain committed to this principle and cooperate with partners to overcome great challenges," she emphasized.

Indrawati has once again assumed the role of finance minister, a post she had once held during the 2005-2010 period, replacing Bambang Brodjonegoro.

Born in Bandar Lampung on August 26, 1962, Indrawati began her career in the government during the era of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when she was named minister for national development planning/head of the national development planning agency in the United Cabinet I.

Indrawati took over the finance ministers post, replacing Jusuf Anwar in 2005, and concurrently served as the caretaker coordinating minister for economic affairs replacing Boediono, who was named governor of Bank Indonesia in 2008.

Indrawati was reappointed finance minister during the period of the United Cabinet II, but she assumed the post for only some months as she resigned in May 2010 since she was named executive director of the World Bank.

Indrawati is a former economic analyst and pioneer in bureaucratic reforms at the finance ministry. She was also instrumental in the implementation of the sunset policy in 2008 that helped the country achieve its tax receipt target.

With a masters degree in Science of Policy Economics and PhD in Economics from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, the United States, Indrawati had once led the Economic Research Institution and Society of the Economic Faculty of the University of Indonesia.

Indrawati, who is also a former executive director of the IMF, was named the best Asian finance minister by the Emerging Market magazine in 2006 and was chosen as the worlds 23rd most influential women by Forbes magazine in 2008.

However, she was once implicated in the Century Bank bailout case, and her policy to salvage the ailing bank was questioned and considered to have caused losses to the state.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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