Indonesia’s president replaces finance minister with deputy, official says

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s president sacked his finance minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa on Monday (Sept 14) and replaced him with his deputy Suahasil Nazara, as he battles to win back investor confidence amid long-festering concerns about policymaking and fiscal profligacy.Suahasil, a former academic and a deputy finance minister since 2019, is the third person to take the role under President Prabowo Subianto.He was among a number of senior officials who arrived at the state palace for a swearing-in ceremony, while Purbaya was earlier seen leaving in the middle of a parliamentary hearing.”The priority is to run a credible state budget,” Suahasil said after his inauguration, adding he would commit to keeping the fiscal deficit below the legislated limit of three per cent of GDP.”I will continue to run a trustworthy state budget, ensure trustworthy public communication, and also ensure that what the state budget does supports the government’s priority programmes.”