President Prabowo Inaugurates Luhut Binsar as Chair of the National Economic Council

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: On Monday, President Prabowo Subianto officially inaugurated Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan as the chair of the National Economic Council for the 2024-2029 period during a ceremony at Merdeka Palace. The inauguration was conducted in accordance with Presidential Decree Number 139/P of 2024, issued on October 20, 2024.

Deputy for Administration and Apparatus of the Ministry of State Secretary, Nanik Purwanti, announced the appointment, stating, “President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto, effective from the time of his inauguration, appoints Military General (ret.) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan as chair of the National Economic Council.”

Prior to this appointment, Luhut served as the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment in the Onward Indonesia Cabinet since 2019. He also held the position of Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs from 2015 to 2016, where he succeeded Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno.

During his tenure as Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut played a vital role in various strategic sectors, including maritime affairs, environmental initiatives, toll road infrastructure, high-speed rail development, and the electric vehicle battery industry. His leadership was particularly noteworthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he provided essential recommendations to the Joko Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin administration on sensitive issues.

Luhut’s extensive experience and insights are expected to greatly contribute to the National Economic Council as it seeks to navigate Indonesia’s economic challenges and opportunities in the coming years.