October 17, 2025 | 03:59 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated there is no harm in having a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) led by a foreign national. He argued this is especially true if the company requires a leader with a specific level of expertise.
"We shouldn't close ourselves off or question whether the leader is an Indonesian citizen or a foreign national," Prasetyo said when met at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Empowerment Affairs in Central Jakarta on Friday, October 17, 2025.
The Gerindra Party politician emphasized that the government's priority is to encourage capable Indonesian citizens. "But if we feel that, for a temporary period, we need the skills and competencies of someone who happens to be a foreign national, why not?" Prasetyo asked.
He then offered an analogy, likening the situation to appointing a foreign coach for the Indonesian national football team. Prasetyo explained that while a capable local coach would be appointed, there is no issue if the national team needs a foreign coach. "Because sometimes we need that to drive us," he noted.
As previously reported, President Prabowo Subianto expressed a desire for SOEs to be managed with international standards.
Prabowo mentioned that he had already changed regulations to explicitly allow expatriates to lead SOEs. He specifically asked the Investment Management Agency Danantara to seek out the best global talent.
"I have already changed the regulations; now expatriates, non-Indonesians, can lead our state-owned enterprises. So I am very excited," Prabowo said during a dialogue with Forbes Chairperson, Steve Forbes, in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
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