"He was the leader of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and he also knows the mapping of competition, and also (he) was Ambassador in America," Minister Thohir said after President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) swore new officials into office here on Monday.
The new deputy minister is also expected to encourage the growth of entrepreneurship at SOEs, he added.
On Monday, Roeslani assumed office as the Deputy Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, replacing Pahala Mansury, who has been assigned as the new Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Thohir said that he expects Mansury to strengthen collaboration between the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the SOEs Ministry so that they can pursue national policies together.
For instance, he could work to import fertilizers from other countries to Indonesia amid supply chain pressures, he explained.
"Mr. Mansury's presence can be a new force to gauge supply chain in other countries in a mutually beneficial way, okay. So, it is not us pressuring each other, but benefitting one another," he added.
Thohir further said that Mansury's appointment to the Foreign Affairs Ministry shows that President Widodo trusts SOEs' human resources.
He then referred to another instance in which Nezar Patria—who was at one point special staff to the SOEs Minister—was sent to the Communication and Information Ministry to assist Setiadi.
"I am very happy, and of course, (although we are) proving that many SOEs talents are superior, we also do not want to be arrogant," the minister added.
Others who were a part of the SOEs Ministry and were entrusted by President Widodo with new positions include Arief Prasetyo Adi, former president director of PT RNI who has been appointed as head of the National Food Agency, and Budi Gunadi Sadikin, who was formerly deputy minister for SOEs and is now serving as the Health Minister.
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Translator: Indra Arief Pribadi, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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