For Indonesia’s finance chief Sri Mulyani, what will a ‘bigger’ role in new Jokowi cabinet entail?
- The president wants to give the former World Bank managing director, who turns 57 today, more responsibilities in his new cabinet
- Analysts say a promotion would be for Sri Mulyani, who has rock star appeal among citizens, to take on the additional role of coordinating minister for economic affairs
Widodo earlier this month hinted at giving Sri Mulyani, who turns 57 today and is a mother of three, a “bigger responsibility” in his new team. Then, Ahmad Syafi’i Maarif, the former leader of the influential Muslim organisation Muhammadiyah, said Vice-President Jusuf Kalla had told him that Jokowi wanted to either reappoint Sri Mulyani as finance minister or promote her to be coordinating minister for economic affairs.
But several analysts see the coordinating minister role as a lesser position, because the finance minister has a larger budget and command over government funds.
Kevin O’Rourke, author of the Indonesia-focused newsletter Reformasi Weekly, said giving her only a coordinating minister role would be a demotion.
“The coordinating economics role is a higher rank, in theory, but in practice it entails less power,” he said.
“[Sri Mulyani] has instincts that differ with those of Widodo, especially with regard to resource nationalism and the role of state enterprises, and therefore as coordinating minister she might often go ignored.”