This is a new coordinating ministry established by President Joko Widodo with authority over Indonesia’s natural resources, including oil & gas, minerals, and forestry plus transportation infrastructure/logistics, and fisheries.
Indroyono Soesilo, the coordinating minister, accordingly is as powerful as Sofyan Djalil, coordinating minister of the economy. Under his coordination are the following guys:
1/ Sudirman Said: Minister of energy and mineral resources, a professional with work experience in oil and gas (Pertamina) and mining & power generation (Indika Energy and Pindad).
2/ Siti Nurbaya Bakar: Minister of forestry and environmental affairs, a bureaucrat turned politician (NasDem Party).
3/ Ignasius Jonan: Minister of transportation, former banker and CEO of railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia.
4/ Susi Pudjiastuti: Minister of marine and fisheries, businesswoman with interest in air transportation and fisheries.
5/ Arief Yahya: Minister of tourism, former CEO of PT Telkom (TLKM) Tbk.
Who is Indroyono?
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Born in Bandung, West Java on March 27, 1955 (59 years old), Indroyono is son of the late General (ret) Soesilo Soedarman, former minister of telecommunication and tourism (1988-1993) and Indonesian Ambassador to USA in 1986-1988. Mr Soedarman was coordinating minister for politics, security, and law in the period of 1993-1998.
Indroyono is married to Dr Ir Nining Sri Astuti, who is older sister of Sri Mulyani Indrawati (former minister of finance). Indroyono is older brother of Triharyo Indrawan Soesilo (Hengky), who is currently president and CEO of PT Supreme Energy (owned by Supramu Santosa, founder of geothermal and oil-gas company Star Energy Ltd). Triharyo is former CEO of engineering PT Rekayasa Industri and commissioner of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina. Triharyo was among names tipped for energy & mineral resources minister.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Graduated from Geology School of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 1979 with PhD in remote sensing from Iowa University (USA) in 1987, Indroyono started out his career as researcher at the prestigious Research Agency BPPT.
He was one of trusted aides of the famous research and technology minister BJ Habibie, who became Indonesia’s third president in 1998-1999. His highest position at BPPT was as deputy head (directly under Habibie) for natural resources technology in 1997-1998.
He led the Marine and Fisheries Research Agency (BRKP) for seven years before president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promoted him as secretary to coordinating minister of people’s welfare in 2008 under minister Aburizal Bakrie. He was also secretary to Aburizal’s successor Agung Laksono (also Golkar politician like Aburizal) until 2012 when President SBY nominated him as director of the fisheries and aquaculture resources use and conservation division of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
INDROYONO – JOKOWI: It is not clear who introduced Indroyono to Jokowi. Some theories, as usual, emerged. During the presidential campaign, Jokowi paid a visit to Soesilo Soedarman Museum in Cilacap, Central Java. Jokowi publicly said General Soedarman inspired him that village boy like Soedarman can become big guy. Indroyono’s name appeared in some online surveys for cabinet position not as coordinating minister of maritime affairs, but as minister of marine and fisheries, while Tedjo Edhy was tipped for the coordinating minister position. Looks like that dynamics between Jokowi and Megawati on coordinating minister of politics triggered the change in maritime affairs.
“Indroyono was prepared for marine & fisheries. But, last minute changes in political section of the cabinet led to the changes in economic portfolios. This could be a blessing in disguise or a disaster for Jokowi’s ideas of promoting maritime development. Issues in energy & mining might absorb most of Indroyono’s energy going forward, but let’s just wait and see,” one businessman commented.
Like it or not, Indroyono becomes a very important figure in the cabinet when it comes to energy & mineral, including continuation of mining contracts, extension of oil and gas contracts, and development of power generation capacity. Portion of the issues will be handled by ministries under the coordination of Sofyan Djalil, especially fiscal, industry (processing), export-import, and land/spatial planning. That means Sofyan won’t be as powerful as Hatta Rajasa in SBY-Boediono’s term.
This is also a balancing act in the dynamics of relationship between Jokowi and Kalla. Sofyan, a trusted aide of Kalla, can’t ask directly energy & mineral resources minister. He should talk to Indroyono first. Similarly, in the discussions surrounding fiscal terms for oil refineries, for example, Indroyono can’t just summon finance minister. He should ask for help from Sofyan. Positive side of it would be in check and balances between interest groups, but poor coordination between them would slowdown everything.
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