Indonesian president nominates acting head to lead central bank

Destry Damayanti has been nominated as the sole candidate for the job, said a presidential spokesman.

JAKARTA: Indonesia's president has nominated acting central bank governor Destry Damayanti as the sole candidate to take over the job she has held since the abrupt resignation of Perry Warjiyo last month, the government said on Monday (Aug 10).

"There is only one name, it is Destry Damayanti," presidential spokesman Prasetyo Hadi said in response to questions from reporters in Jakarta.

Parliament, which is in recess, will have the final word on the new governor - a nomination closely watched by markets.

Before taking over from Perry in an interim capacity, 62-year-old economist Destry had been a deputy governor of the central bank since 2019.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Perry's unexpected departure in late July was the second of a major economic policymaker since President Prabowo Subianto took office in October 2024. Analysts said the choice of Perry's replacement would be closely watched for signs of political interference. Prabowo's nephew Thomas Djiwandono, another deputy governor, had been touted as a possible candidate. Compounding worries over Bank Indonesia's independence was a Bill passed in July that tasked parliament with evaluating the institution's performance and gave it responsibility for economic growth - a key focus of Prabowo's. Perry's resignation came against a challenging backdrop with the rupiah plummeting and stock market slumping. The bank's board of governors, comprising a governor and several deputies, decides on monetary policy and sets interest rates. At the last policy meeting led by Perry in late July, the bank held its benchmark rate at 5.75 per cent after cumulative increases of 100 points this year.

Perry's unexpected departure in late July was the second of a major economic policymaker since President Prabowo Subianto took office in October 2024.

Analysts said the choice of Perry's replacement would be closely watched for signs of political interference.

Prabowo's nephew Thomas Djiwandono, another deputy governor, had been touted as a possible candidate.

Compounding worries over Bank Indonesia's independence was a Bill passed in July that tasked parliament with evaluating the institution's performance and gave it responsibility for economic growth - a key focus of Prabowo's.

Perry's resignation came against a challenging backdrop with the rupiah plummeting and stock market slumping.

The bank's board of governors, comprising a governor and several deputies, decides on monetary policy and sets interest rates.

At the last policy meeting led by Perry in late July, the bank held its benchmark rate at 5.75 per cent after cumulative increases of 100 points this year.

Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app