Pertamina gets new president

The government has installed Ariffi Nawawi as new president of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, replacing Baihaki Hakim, according to sources.

?He was installed as Pertamina?s new president by Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi during a ceremony at the Ministry of Finance this afternoon,? a source at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said.

Different from Baihaki, who spent most his oil and gas career in a multinational company, Ariffi is known as a Pertamina career official. He served as Pertamina?s upstream director for a brief period until July 9, 2001, the time when Baihaki started leading Pertamina.

Baihaki, the former president of PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia, the Indonesian unit of American firm ChevronTexaco, is lauded by many for his efforts to stamp corruption in the state firm.

During the ceremony, Laksamana also installed Alfred Rohimone, an official at the Cabinet?s Financial Sector Policy Committee (KKSK), as financial director, Hari Purnomo, the general manager of PT Badak NGL, as downstream director, Bambang Nugroho as upstream director, Eteng A. Salam as human resources and development.

Eteng was acting upstream director at Pertamina until after his installment as human resources and development director. (Godang)