Man Of The Hour

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut B. Panjaitan Is at the Helm of the National Committee That Organizes the Imf-world Bank Meetings in Bali.

- Taufik Darusman

Early last year, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) convened a Cabinet meeting on the 2018 IMF-World Bank meetings in Bali. He asked a minister to make a presentation on the event, but barely halfway through the president interrupted him and said: “I appoint Coordinating Minister Luhut Panjaitan as Chairman of the National Committee on the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bali.” Many in the room were slightly taken aback, but all agreed that Jokowi had made the right choice.

Jokowi couldn’t have assigned a better person for the job. Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut B. Panjaitan, a retired fourstar Army general, already has four ministries under his watch, namely energy and mineral resources; fisheries; tourism; and transportation. But to Jokowi, Luhut is an indefatigable and no-nonsense person with a get-out-of-my-way approach in doing things. Although Luhut had only less than two years to prepare for the meetings, he typically managed to deliver the goods in time— with flying colours.

“It’s 96% ready,” he told Forbes Indonesia at his office overlooking Thamrin Street, the capital city’s main thoroughfare, last month.

“The meetings will benefit Indonesia both short- and long-term, particularly in relation to foreign exchange reserves gain, trade and investment, tourism and, perhaps more importantly, Indonesia’s leadership in the region. I also made sure that the Rp 855,5 billion ($58.26 million) budget for the event will not go to waste,” said Luhut, a former Kopassus (Special Forces) commander.

“The main objective of hosting the meetings is to showcase Indonesia and Asia as reformed, resilient, and progressive economies.”